Meaning & use
tinctures
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“tinctures” is a form of “tincture”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountablemedical
Liquid medicines or plant extracts made by soaking a substance in alcohol so its active parts dissolve.
Grammar: Plural of tincture; a tincture of something is a single preparation.
Patterns
- tinctures of something
- tinctures made from something
She keeps several herbal tinctures in small dropper bottles.
Old pharmacies sold tinctures for coughs and digestive trouble.
Tinctures are stronger than teas because the alcohol pulls out more of the plant.
nouncountableliteraryfigurative
Small amounts or traces of a quality, flavor or color added to something.
Grammar: Usually followed by of: tinctures of sadness.
Patterns
- tinctures of something
The music carried faint tinctures of sadness.
His speech had tinctures of both pride and regret.
The sky showed pale tinctures of pink at sunset.
nouncountablespecialist
The metals and colors used in heraldry to decorate shields and coats of arms.
Grammar: Used in heraldry; plural names the whole set.
Patterns
- the tinctures of something
Gold and silver are two of the main heraldic tinctures.
Rules say metal tinctures must not touch each other on a shield.
The student learned the tinctures used on medieval coats of arms.
Word forms
| singular | tincture |
|---|
Common combinations
- herbal tinctures
- She makes herbal tinctures from garden plants.
- alcohol-based tinctures
- Alcohol-based tinctures can last for years.
- tinctures of iodine
- Old first-aid kits held tinctures of iodine.
- take tinctures
- He takes tinctures every morning for his stomach.
- prepare tinctures
- The pharmacist prepares tinctures in the back room.
Synonyms and how they differ
- extracts
- Extracts is wider and can be made with water or oil, while tinctures are usually alcohol-based.
- infusions
- Infusions are made with hot water, like tea, and are weaker than tinctures.
- elixirs
- Elixirs sound old-fashioned or magical, while tinctures are a standard preparation.
- hints
- Hints, for the figurative sense, is the everyday word for faint traces.
Word family
Commonly confused: tinctures or tinsel? tinctures or tinctorial?
tinctures vs tinsel
Tinsel is shiny decoration for holidays and has nothing to do with medicine.
tinctures vs tinctorial
Tinctorial relates to dyeing or color; tinctures are liquid extracts.
Practice
The herbalist soaked the roots in alcohol for weeks to make strong ______.
Choose one answer.
Soaking plants in alcohol makes tinctures. Teas use water, so the tempting option is wrong, while tinsel and tonsils are unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tinctures”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.