to double dye

1 7.9

To color something twice to make its color stronger

phrasal verb

: tintar dos veces

To achieve a deeper shade, the artisan decided to double dye the fabric.

Examples

The wool was double dyed to enhance its richness and uniformity.
She double dyed her dress yesterday.
Some manufacturers double dye garments to produce more vibrant colors.
Don't double dye that fabric!
To achieve a deeper shade, the artisan decided to double dye the fabric.
Some manufacturers double dye garments to produce more vibrant colors.
The wool was double dyed to enhance its richness and uniformity.

Synonyms

to overdye

vsto double dye

Specialized

1 7.4

To add a new color to fabric again to change or deepen its look

does the dyeing exactly twice to achieve a specific color or visual effect

How Dark

to double dye

1 7.9

to dye

83 2.2

to tint

6 3.6

Surface Forms

double dye infinitive

double dyed past

double dyed past participle

double dyeing present participle

double dyes third person singular

Morphology

double + dye

The meaning 'to dye twice' is directly and compositionally derived from 'double' (twice) + 'dye' (to color), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the MWE's meaning. This adjective+verb combination follows regular English formation patterns and is cross-linguistically transparent, so no idiomatic knowledge is needed.

Etymology

Double dye comes from a simple craft practice: makers dye fabric once and then dye it again so the color becomes deeper or has a special look. So, double dye means 'to dye something twice' to get a richer color or a certain look.