decolor
/di:'kʌlə/ Cách viết khác : (decolour) /di:'kʌlə/ (decolorize) /di:'kʌləraiz/ (decolouri
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To remove color from something; to make something lose its color or become less colorful. This is the primary meaning, describing the action of causing a substance, object, or material to lose its original hue or pigmentation.
Usage
- Verb (transitive): The verb "decolor" is used with a direct object. It describes the process where an agent (like sunlight, a chemical, or an action) causes the removal or fading of color.
- The strong chemical will decolor the fabric if you're not careful.
- Over time, the sunlight decolored the vibrant curtains.
Examples
Advanced Usage
- Scientific/Technical Context: "Decolor" is frequently used in scientific fields, such as chemistry, biology (e.g., Gram staining in microbiology), and textile manufacturing, to describe a controlled process of removing color.
- In the Gram stain protocol, alcohol is used to decolor Gram-negative bacteria.
Variants and Related Words
- Decolorize (verb): A more common variant with the same meaning. Often preferred in formal and scientific writing.
- Activated charcoal is used to decolorize sugar solutions.
- Decolour (verb): The British English spelling variant.
- Decoloration (noun): The process or result of becoming decolored.
- The decoloration of the lake water was due to pollution.
- Bleach (verb): A common synonym, though "bleach" often implies using a specific chemical (bleach) and can mean to make white, not just remove color.
- Fade (verb): To lose color gradually, often due to light or washing. "Fade" is often intransitive (The shirt faded), while "decolor" is typically transitive (The sun decolored the shirt).
Synonyms
- Bleach
- Fade (in transitive use: )
- Whiten
- Discolor (Note: "Discolor" often means to change to an unwanted color, not necessarily to remove all color.)
Antonyms
- Color (verb)
- Dye
- Tint
- Stain
Related Phrases/Idioms
- : While not a direct idiom with "decolor," the concept is related in descriptions like "The dye ran and decolored the other clothes in the wash."
Verb
- remove color from
- The sun bleached the red shirt