Basic Details
Word: Dye
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A substance used to change the colour of cloth, hair, food or other things.
Synonyms: colour, tint
Sounds like: die (to stop living; also a small cube with dots used in games)
How to Spell Dye
Syllables: dye
Tricky part: Dye is spelt d-y-e. Die, with an i, sounds the same but means to stop living.
Watch out for: dyie, dyee
Memory tip: Think of dye going into yarn: y for yarn, then a quiet e at the end. Die, with i, is the other word.
Idioms and Phrases
- dyed-in-the-wool: having a belief or habit so firmly that it will never change Example: "Dadaji is a dyed-in-the-wool cricket fan who never misses a Test match."
Usage Examples
Example 1: Bandhani makers tie tiny knots in the cloth before dipping it in dye.
Example 2: Grandma uses henna as a natural dye for her hair.
Example 3: The red dye from my new kurta stained my white socks in the wash.
Fun Fact
Indigo, a blue dye made from the indigo plant, was at the centre of Gandhiji's Champaran Satyagraha of 1917, which supported farmers forced to grow it.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
dye
a) wipe
b) wash
c) tint
d) bleach
Show answer
c) tint. Bleach takes colour out, while a dye or a tint puts colour in.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Our art teacher mixed beetroot juice into a pink dyie for the class project.
a) beetroot
b) project
c) teacher
d) dyie
Show answer
d) dyie. Dye has only three letters: d, y and a final e.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) dye
b) stensil
c) embroidary
d) pigmant
Show answer
a) dye. Pigment, stencil and embroidery have each gone wrong in one spot here.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which sentence uses dye with the right meaning?
a) She used a green dye on the old T-shirt.
b) Plants will dye if you forget to water them.
c) The soldier was ready to dye for his country.
d) Roll the dye and move your counter.
Show answer
a) She used a green dye on the old T-shirt.
2. Turmeric can be used as a natural dye to make cloth ____.
a) waterproof
b) heavier
c) shiny
d) yellow
Show answer
d) yellow
