tincture
    n 1: a substances that colors metals
    2: an indication that something has been present; "there wasn't
       a trace of evidence for the claim"; "a tincture of
       condescension" [syn: trace, vestige, tincture,
       shadow]
    3: a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another
       color; "after several trials he mixed the shade of pink that
       she wanted" [syn: shade, tint, tincture, tone]
    4: (pharmacology) a medicine consisting of an extract in an
       alcohol solution
    v 1: fill, as with a certain quality; "The heavy traffic
         tinctures the air with carbon monoxide" [syn: impregnate,
         infuse, instill, tincture]
    2: stain or tint with a color; "The leaves were tinctured with a
       bright red"

Tincture \Tinc"ture\, n. [L. tinctura a dyeing, from tingere,
   tinctum, to tinge, dye: cf. OE. tainture, teinture, F.
   teinture, L. tinctura. See Tinge.]
   1. A tinge or shade of color; a tint; as, a tincture of red.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Her.) One of the metals, colors, or furs used in armory.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: There are two metals: gold, called or, and represented
         in engraving by a white surface covered with small
         dots; and silver, called argent, and represented by a
         plain white surface. The colors and their
         representations are as follows: red, called gules, or a
         shading of vertical lines; blue, called azure, or
         horizontal lines; black, called sable, or horizontal
         and vertical lines crossing; green, called vert, or
         diagonal lines from dexter chief corner; purple, called
         purpure, or diagonal lines from sinister chief corner.
         The furs are ermine, ermines, erminois, pean, vair,
         counter vair, potent, and counter potent. See
         Illustration in Appendix.
         [1913 Webster]

   3. The finer and more volatile parts of a substance,
      separated by a solvent; an extract of a part of the
      substance of a body communicated to the solvent.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. (Med.) A solution (commonly colored) of medicinal
      substance in alcohol, usually more or less diluted; spirit
      containing medicinal substances in solution.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: According to the United States Pharmacopoeia, the term
         tincture (also called alcoholic tincture, and
         spirituous tincture) is reserved for the alcoholic
         solutions of nonvolatile substances, alcoholic
         solutions of volatile substances being called spirits.
         [1913 Webster]

   Ethereal tincture, a solution of medicinal substance in
      ether.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. A slight taste superadded to any substance; as, a tincture
      of orange peel.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. A slight quality added to anything; a tinge; as, a
      tincture of French manners.
      [1913 Webster]

            All manners take a tincture from our own. --Pope.
      [1913 Webster]

            Every man had a slight tincture of soldiership, and
            scarcely any man more than a slight tincture.
                                                  --Macaulay.
      [1913 Webster]

Tincture \Tinc"ture\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tinctured; p. pr. &
   vb. n. Tincturing.]
   1. To communicate a slight foreign color to; to tinge; to
      impregnate with some extraneous matter.
      [1913 Webster]

            A little black paint will tincture and spoil twenty
            gay colors.                           --I. Watts.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To imbue the mind of; to communicate a portion of anything
      foreign to; to tinge.
      [1913 Webster]

            The stain of habitual sin may thoroughly tincture
            all our soul.                         --Barrow.
      [1913 Webster]