dye-house

dye-house

A worker inspects colorful fabrics in a dye-house.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A building or establishment where dyeing is done: "dye-house" refers to a place, typically an industrial or commercial facility, where textiles, fabrics, yarns, or other materials are coloured or stained using dyes.
Usage Examples
  • Noun:
    • The workers at the dye-house treated the cotton with a deep blue pigment. (A facility where cotton was coloured.)
    • After the fabric was woven, it was sent to the dye-house for colouring. (A building where the dyeing process occurs.)
Advanced Usage
  • "to operate a dye-house": to manage or run such a facility.

    • He inherited the family dye-house and modernised its equipment. (He took over the family dyeing business.)
  • "dye-house effluent": the waste water produced during the dyeing process.

    • Strict regulations control the disposal of dye-house effluent to protect rivers. (Waste from dyeing facilities.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Dye (n): a substance used to change the colour of something.

    • The dye she used on the wool was made from natural plants. (A colouring agent.)
  • Dyeing (n): the process of applying dye to materials.

    • The art of dyeing requires precise temperature control. (The act of colouring.)
  • Dye-house worker (n): a person employed in a dye-house.

    • The dye-house worker wore protective gloves to handle the chemicals. (An employee at the facility.)
Synonyms
  • Dye works: an alternative term for a facility where dyeing is done.

    • The old dye works closed down due to pollution concerns. (A dyeing facility.)
  • Colour mill: a less common term for a place where colours are prepared or applied.

    • The colour mill supplied dyes to local textile factories. (A facility for producing dyes.)
Related Idioms
  • "In the dye-house": literally, being present at such a facility; no common idiomatic usage exists, but the term is used in industrial contexts.
    • The manager spent the morning in the dye-house checking the vats. (Inside the building where dyeing occurs.)