overdye

English

Alternative forms

• over-dye

Etymology

From over- +‎ dye.

Verb

overdye (third-person singular simple present overdyes, present participle overdyeing, simple past and past participle overdyed)

1. (transitive) To dye (something already coloured) with another colour.

   Coordinate terms: overpaint, paint over, overcoat

   • 2002, Victoria Finlay, Colour, Sceptre, published 2003, page 111:

     To last more than a few days in the sunshine, the crushed logwood needed to be over-dyed on woad- or indigo-coloured fabric.

   • 2008 February 7, Eric Wilson, “A Gap Guy, Head to Toe”, in New York Times‎:

     There was a sweater dress in almost the same shade of blue as one shown at Doo.Ri; overdyed plaid shirts with contrasting plaid cuffs and collars for men like those at Duckie Brown; and lots of chunky knit gray cardigans like the ones popping up all over the place — just not at the same prices.

2. To dye too much.

   Coordinate term: overpaint

   Near-synonym: overcolor