What does discolour mean?
Discolour means to change or ruin something's original colour, whether by staining, fading, yellowing, or darkening. It works both transitively — sunlight discolours fabric, hard water discolours chrome — and intransitively, as when old paper yellows or silver tarnishes on its own. The verb implies deterioration: a thing that has discoloured has usually lost some of its freshness, cleanliness, or beauty, which gives the word a subtly negative tone. It belongs equally to household talk (stained mugs, faded curtains) and more formal writing about documents, monuments, or historical artefacts. The spelling 'discolour' is British; Americans write 'discolor'. Both derive ultimately from Latin 'color', via Old French 'colour', with the prefix 'dis-' suggesting alteration away from an original state. A related noun, 'discolouration', names the visible result of the process.
verbTo change or cause to change colour, especially in a way that spoils or detracts from the original appearance; to become stained, faded, or otherwise altered in hue.
- To lose, change, or spoil the original colour of something, as through staining, fading, dirt, or exposure to light.
- (Of a thing) To become stained, faded, or altered in colour.
"The once-white curtains had discoloured badly after years of exposure to sunlight."
"Hard water had discoloured the chrome taps, leaving a dull brown film."
"The manuscript's pages have discoloured over the centuries, turning a soft amber."
That stubborn tea stain on your favourite mug? It's been quietly discolouring it for years — and the word itself is just Latin 'color' wearing a British disguise.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of discolour
Discolour entered English in the late Middle Ages, formed from the prefix 'dis-' plus 'colour', which came into English from Old French 'colour' and ultimately from Latin 'color', meaning hue or complexion. The verb originally carried broader senses of altering or disguising appearance before settling into its modern sense of staining or fading. It shares its root with words such as 'coloration', 'colorful', and 'discoloration'. In American English the word is spelled 'discolor', reflecting nineteenth-century spelling reforms that dropped unstressed vowels.
Related word forms
How discolour is actually used
The spelling 'discolour' is standard in British English, while American English uses 'discolor'; the noun form follows the same split ('discolouration' vs 'discoloration'). The verb carries a mildly negative connotation, implying deterioration or damage to appearance rather than neutral change. It sits comfortably in both everyday and formal registers.
Easily confused with discolour
'Discolor' is simply the American spelling of the same word, not a different word; 'discolour' is the British spelling.