Tincts

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Slight colours or shades that give something a faint hue ; to lightly colour or flavour something so it takes on a trace of a quality
2. Faint hues or tinges of colour in a thing ; a verb meaning to dye lightly or impart a slight trace of some quality to something
3. Subtle shades that add a delicate colour to an object ; to impart a trace of colour or character to something by dyeing it lightly

Etymology: "Tincts" is the plural of "tinct," a noun for a faint shade of colour. The singular came into English in Middle English as "tynct," borrowed from Latin "tīnctus," the past participle of "tingō," meaning "to tinge" or "to dye." The Latin verb and its participle carry the same root, so a tinct is literally something that has been dipped or dyed. English also has a near-twin in "tint," which is a doublet of "tinct": both descend from the same Latin word but reached English by different routes, one keeping the sharper spelling and the other softening into the everyday word for a pale wash of colour.

Synonyms: tints, tinges, hues