I. ˈtiŋj verb
( tinged ; tinged ; tingeing or tinging ; tinges )
Etymology: Middle English tingen, from Latin tingere to dip, moisten, tinge; akin to Greek tengein to wet, moisten, Old High German dunkōn, thunkōn to dip
transitive verb
1.
a. : to color with a slight shade or stain : tint
kill plants that … will tinge the edge of the melting snow with early green — Allan Fraser
the scarlet glare of the flames tinged her flesh with the color of rusty iron — Ellen Glasgow
the sun … tingeing with colors of the rainbow the sandy beach — A.C.Whitehead
b. : to affect or modify with a slight odor or taste
the roses tinge the air with their fragrance
2. : to affect, modify, or influence in character, tone, or sensibility
social relationships … peculiarly tinged by this postulate of intrinsic equality — Theodore Bienenstok
a vague exasperation tinges his world view — Selig Harrison
a darkling Renaissance look that might tinge mischief with cruelty — Claudia Cassidy
the same deep respect tinged … with love and humor instead of hatred and fear — Nancy Mitford
intransitive verb
: to undergo change in color or aspect
day was breaking, the east was tingeing with strange fires — R.L.Stevenson
II. noun
( -s )
1. : a slight or modifying shade or color : tint
a faint tinge of color crept into her yellow face — J.C.Snaith
houses … in the tinge of unpainted adobe — American Guide Series: Texas
the trees … beginning to take on here and there the tinges of autumn — R.H.Sampson
2. : an affective or modifying property or influence taken from or imparted by something : cast , touch
a slightly Celtic tinge in her diction — Mary Deasy
eyes that … had some tinge of the oriental — Edmund Wilson
half-baked eloquence without even a tinge of effective insight — H.J.Laski
a tinge of exasperation in her tone — Ellen Glasgow
his music assumed … a wild tinge — William Black
almost every personal tragedy had a tinge of mild absurdity — Peter Quennell
3. : a yellow discoloration of cotton lint by the plant juices resulting from field exposure of mature cotton after frost
Synonyms: see color