DISCOLOURATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does discolouration mean? 

• DISCOLOURATION (noun)
  The noun DISCOLOURATION has 2 senses:

1. a soiled or discolored appearance

2. the act of changing the natural color of something by making it duller or dingier or unnatural or faded

  Familiarity information: DISCOLOURATION used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DISCOLOURATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A soiled or discolored appearance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

discoloration; discolouration; stain

Context example:

the wine left a dark stain

Hypernyms ("discolouration" is a kind of...):

appearance; visual aspect (outward or visible aspect of a person or thing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "discolouration"):

scorch (a discoloration caused by heat)

bloodstain (a discoloration caused by blood)

iron mold; iron mould (a spot caused the staining with rust or ink)

mud stain (a stain produced by mud)

oil stain (a stain produced by oil)

tarnish (discoloration of metal surface caused by oxidation)

Derivation:

discolour (change color, often in an undesired manner)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The act of changing the natural color of something by making it duller or dingier or unnatural or faded

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

discoloration; discolouration

Hypernyms ("discolouration" is a kind of...):

change of color (an act that changes the light that something reflects)

Derivation:

discolour (change color, often in an undesired manner)

 Context examples 

I have had an opportunity of examining yours, and I do not find that slight discolouration which the scratch made upon the varnish would have produced.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Surely there is some discolouration here,” said he.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The blood-stains were very slight, mere smears and discolourations, but undoubtedly fresh.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)