Decolour

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To cause a material to lose its original color or shade To lessen the intensity or saturation of colors in an object The act of transforming vibrant hues into paler or less distinct tones
2. To strip the color from a substance, making it appear lighter or neutralized
3. To diminish the color intensity of a fabric or surface, causing it to become pale or washed out

Etymology: "Decolour" is a plain formation: the prefix "de-", from Latin "de" meaning "down, away from" or "reversal of", attached to "colour". The sense it carries is the removal or draining of colour, so to decolour something is to take its colour away, leaving it pale, faded, or bleached. The base word "colour" came into English through Old French "colur" from Latin "color", the same root that gives us "colourless" and "discolour". "De-" added to a noun or verb in English is a productive pattern, as in "decaffeinate" or "dehumanise", where the prefix means removal or reversal of whatever follows.

Synonyms: bleach, fade

Antonyms: color, pigment