Crossword Genius

Stain resulting from decay, reportedly (3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

dye

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'stain' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'decay reportedly' is the wordplay.
'decay' becomes 'dy' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'reportedly' becomes 'e' (I've seen this in other clues).
'dy'+'e'='DYE'

'resulting from' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for dye that I've seen before include "Colouring agent" , "Staining material" , "Soluble substance for staining or colouring" , "Tint" , "Pigment" .)

I've seen this clue in The Hindu.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.