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A droplet of this, a skosh of that. Now you take that home, throw it in a beaker, and add a touch of ethyl alcohol to hold it all together—baby, you’ve got a tincture going. Tincture is a word with a colorful past most often encountered today in reference to a solution consisting of a medicinal substance mixed with alcohol, as in “Carl weathers his cold with a tincture of echinacea.” When the word first appeared in English in the 14th century, tincture referred to a substance used to color, dye, or stain, but by the 17th century the word had acquired several additional meanings, including “a slight infusion or trace of something.” This sense is still in use today, especially figuratively, as when an aspiring actor is said to feel a “tincture of doubt that the acting lessons are worth what he paid.”
Synonyms
Examples of tincture in a Sentence
Journal Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2024
First, Hadid mixes three tinctures with a gut support liquid from ION that retails for $52, according to The Cut.
—Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024
She will be instructed to ingest strange tinctures and coached to mistrust her own mind.
—Amanda Hess, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
Unlike previous versions of the bill, Vos said most forms of cannabis would be allowed, including concentrates, oils, tinctures, edibles, pills, topical creams and vapors, among others.
—Journal Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2024
At its apex around 2018, CBD was everywhere, appearing in water, chocolate bars, tinctures, gummies and skin serums.
—Julie Creswell, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024
Contents include different types and sizes of bandages and sterile dressings, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, tincture of benzoin, ibuprofen, aspirin, antihistamines, sting relief wipes, splinter tweezers, blister patches, and more.
—Jessica MacDonald, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2024
Be sure to top off your mixture with 4 dashes of peppercorn tincture and a dash of saline solution.
—Claudia Alarcón, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024
This bright green creative riff features Blanco Tequila, avocado cordial, fresh lime juice and a spicy tincture made in-house.
—Aly Walansky, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2024
Jon Pareles, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2020
That sartorial elegance bespoke a deep embrace of tradition, tinctured with just the right amount of satire to be amusing.
—Roger Kimball, WSJ, 15 May 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tincture.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Noun
Middle English, from Latin tinctura act of dyeing, from tinctus, past participle of tingere to tinge
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3b
Verb
1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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“Tincture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tincture. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
tincture
noun
Medical Definition
tincture
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on tincture
Nglish: Translation of tincture for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of tincture for Arabic Speakers
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