Brewer's: Ingrain Colours

Colours dyed in the wool or raw material before manufacture. In French, tendre en laine. Such colours are the most durable. We speak of “a rogue ingrain,” meaning one hopelessly bad. (In the grain, that is, in the texture.)

“`Tis ingrain, sir; `twill endure wind and weather.” —Shakespeare: Twelfth Night, i. 5.

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language