discoloration

IPA/dɪsˌkʌləˈreɪʃn/
KK[dɪskˌʌlɚˈeʃən]IPA/dɪsˌkʌləˈreɪʃn/

discoloration — noun

  • discolorationsingular
  • discolorationsplural

1. a shift away from something's normal or original colour, usually leaving it dull

1.nounC1
Definition

a shift away from something's normal or original colour, usually leaving it duller, darker, or patchy and less pleasant to look at.

Example

Adaeze noticed slight discoloration on the silver teapot after she washed it with lemon juice.

discoloration on [object surface]

Years of strong coffee had caused noticeable discoloration of Christopher's front teeth.

discoloration of [body part] caused by [cause]

Common collocations
  • slight discoloration
  • noticeable discoloration
  • cause discoloration
  • discoloration of the skin
  • discoloration of the teeth
Synonyms
  • staining

    implies a foreign substance has marked the surface; discoloration is more general.

  • fading

    specifically a loss of brightness, while discoloration can also mean darkening or yellowing.

  • tarnish

    the dulling that builds up on metal, especially silver — a narrow type of discoloration.

Grammar Patterns

discoloration of [noun]

cause discoloration

Usage Note

Frequently uncountable when describing the general state or process; becomes countable when picking out particular instances. Often appears with cause/caused, of + body part or material, and adjectives of colour (yellow, brown) or degree (slight, noticeable).

Common Mistakes

Her face got a discoloration after the sun.
Her face had some discoloration after a day in the sun.
use 'have' or 'show' with discoloration; 'get a discoloration' sounds unnatural to native speakers.
The wall is discoloration.
The wall has some discoloration.' or 'The wall is discoloured.
'discoloration' is a noun; the adjective form is 'discoloured'.

2. a single spot or patch where the colour has changed and stands out from the area

2.nounC1
Definition

a single spot or patch where the colour has changed and stands out from the area around it.

Example

Elena pointed to a yellow discoloration on the wall just above the radiator.

a [colour] discoloration on [surface]

The dentist found a small discoloration on one of Pedro's back teeth and sent him for an X-ray.

a small discoloration on [body part]

Common collocations
  • a small discoloration
  • a dark discoloration
  • a faint discoloration
  • discoloration on the skin
Synonyms
  • stain

    the everyday word; suggests something spilled or soaked in.

  • blemish

    any small mark that spoils appearance, not necessarily a colour change.

  • spot

    the most general word; doesn't specify colour change or cause.

Grammar Patterns

a discoloration on [surface]

Usage Note

Distinct from sense 1: this sense is always countable and refers to one particular mark you can point at, not the overall process. Common modifiers are size adjectives (small, faint, large) and colour adjectives (yellow, brown, dark).

Common Mistakes

There are many discoloration on the wall.
There are many discolorations on the wall.
when counting, use the plural form 'discolorations'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four describe an unwanted change in how a surface looks, but they part ways on cause and scope. 'Discoloration' is the broad, slightly formal term — it covers any shift away from the normal colour and is the word doctors, scientists, and product labels reach for ('discoloration of the skin'; 'may cause discoloration'). 'Stain' is the everyday word and points to a specific mark left by a substance you can usually name — coffee, ink, blood — so a stain has a story behind it. 'Tarnish' is narrow: the dull film that builds up on silver, brass, and other metals when air reacts with them. 'Fading' is also narrow but in a different direction — it means colour has grown weaker or paler, especially from sunlight, while discoloration can also mean colour has grown stronger or odder. So: a wine stain on the carpet, tarnish on a teapot, fading on a curtain — but all three are types of discoloration.

discoloration ↗stain ↗tarnish ↗fading ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • skin discoloration
  • tooth discoloration
  • discoloration of the gums
  • discoloration of the wood

Adverbs

Phrases

  • cause discoloration
  • show discoloration
  • prevent discoloration

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Built from the Latin prefix 'dis-' meaning 'apart' or 'reverse' plus 'color' (colour), with the noun-forming ending '-ation'. The English verb 'discolour' is recorded from the 14th century, borrowed through Old French from the Latin verb 'discolorare' (to change colour, stain). The noun 'discoloration' arrived later, in the 17th century, on the standard pattern of taking an English verb and adding '-ation' to name the act or result.