noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:D IH0 S K AH2 L ER0 EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act of discoloring, or the state of being discolored; an alteration of hue or appearance.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A discolored spot; a stain.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
the act of changing the natural color of something by making it duller or dingier or unnatural or faded
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: discolouration
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: change of color
4
noun
Meaning 4
a soiled or discolored appearance
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the wine left a dark stain
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: stain, discolouration
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: appearance, visual aspect
Narrower terms: scorch, bloodstain, iron mold, iron mould, mud stain, oil stain, tarnish
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English discolor Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English discoloration From discolor + -ation.
Across languages
Translations
28 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
descoloriment
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
Catalan:
descoloració
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
Chinese Mandarin:
變色 /变色
(biànsè)
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
Danish:
misfarvning
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
Finnish:
värjääntyminen
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
Finnish:
värjääminen
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
Finnish:
värivirhe
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
French:
décoloration
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
Georgian:
გაუფერულება
(gauperuleba)
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
German:
Verfärbung
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
Greek:
αποχρωματισμός
(apochromatismós)
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
Japanese:
変色
(henshoku)
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
Kazakh:
түссіздендіру
(tüssızdendıru)
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
Norwegian Bokmål:
misfarging
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
Norwegian Nynorsk:
misfarging
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
Polish:
barwica
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
Russian:
обесцве́чивание
(obescvéčivanije)
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
Spanish:
decoloración
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
Spanish:
descoloramiento
— act of discolouring or state of being discolored
