direct dye

5.4

A dye that colours cotton and similar fabrics without using a fixing chemical

noun
/dəˈrɛkt daɪ/

Specialized

: tinte directo

Cotton towels were colored using a direct dye for a vibrant finish.

Examples

The textile mill switched from reactive dyes to direct dyes to simplify the coloring process.
She prefers using direct dye for her cotton fabrics.
A direct dye does not require the use of an additional chemical mordant.
Many artists choose direct dyes for their vibrant colors.
Cotton towels were colored using a direct dye for a vibrant finish.
The textile mill switched from reactive dyes to direct dyes to simplify the coloring process.
A direct dye does not require the use of an additional chemical mordant.

Synonyms

substantive dye

vsdirect dye

Specialized

8.1

A coloring that sticks to fibers like cotton or rayon without extra treatment

is the same in meaning but uses a different name

How Colorfast

vat color

Specialized

9.1

direct dye

Specialized

5.4

dyestuff

7.7

Surface Forms

direct dye singular

direct dyes plural

Morphology

direct + dye

The compound is compositionally built from 'direct' (applied without intermediaries) + 'dye' (coloring material), so a learner who knows both words can infer it is a dye applied directly to fibers. Although the full technical nuance about mordants and fiber affinity is specialist knowledge, the core meaning is predictable from the constituents and follows a common ADJ+NOUN pattern.

Etymology

Direct dye comes from the simple image of pouring color straight onto cloth. The word direct shows the dye sticks to the fibers by itself, 'without a mordant' or 'without a helper chemical', so it means a color you can use 'directly' on cotton.