Stain Definition

stān
stained, staining, stains
verb
stained, staining, stains
To spoil the appearance of by patches or streaks of color or dirt; discolor; spot.
Webster's New World
To impart or take a color or stain.
Webster's New World
To bring into disrepute; taint or tarnish.
The scandal stained the mayor's reputation.
American Heritage
To bring shame upon (someone's character, reputation, etc.); taint; disgrace; dishonor.
Webster's New World
To change the appearance of (wood, glass, etc.) by applying a dye, pigment, etc.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:
noun
stains
A discoloration, streak, or spot resulting from staining.
Webster's New World
A moral blemish; dishonor; guilt; taint.
A stain on one's reputation.
Webster's New World
A diminishment of one's moral character or good reputation by being associated with something disgraceful.
American Heritage
A liquid substance applied especially to wood that penetrates the surface and imparts a rich color.
American Heritage
A substance used to impart color in staining.
Webster's New World
Antonyms:

Other Word Forms of Stain

Noun

Singular:
stain
Plural:
stains

Origin of Stain

  • From Middle English steinen, steynen (“to stain, colour, paint"), of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse steina (“to stain, colour, paint"), from steinn (“stone, mineral blee, colour, stain"), from Proto-Norse ᛊᛏᚨᛁᚾᚨᛉ (stainaz), from Proto-Germanic *stainaz (“stone"), from Proto-Indo-European *stAy- (“stone"). Cognate with Old English stān (“stone"). More at stone.

    From Wiktionary

  • In some senses, influenced by unrelated Middle English disteynen (“to discolor, remove the colour from"; literally, "de-colour"), from Anglo-Norman desteindre (“to remove the colour from, bleach"), from Old French desteindre (“to remove the color from, bleach"), from des- (“dis-, de-, un-") + teindre (“to dye"), from Latin tingo.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English steinen partly from Old French desteindre desteign- to deprive of color (des- dis-) (teindre to dye) (from Latin tingere) and partly from Old Norse steina to paint

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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