pigment

(noun) dry coloring material (especially a powder to be mixed with a liquid to produce paint, etc.).

(noun) any substance whose presence in plant or animal tissues produces a characteristic color.

(noun) a substance used as a coating to protect or decorate a surface (especially a mixture of pigment suspended in a liquid); dries to form a hard coating. Synonyms: paint. Example: "Artists use `paint' and `pigment' interchangeably."

(verb) acquire pigment; become colored or imbued.

(verb) color or dye with a pigment. Example: "Pigment a photograph."