Taint Definition

tānt
tainted, taints
verb
tainted, taints
To become tainted.
Webster's New World
To affect with something physically injurious, unpleasant, etc.; infect, poison, etc.
Webster's New World
To expose to an infectious agent, toxin, or undesirable substance.
Drinking water that is tainted with parasites; toothpaste that is tainted with toxic metals.
American Heritage
To affect with putrefaction or decay; spoil.
Webster's New World
To make morally corrupt.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
noun
taints
An undesirable or corrupting influence or association.
Wanted to avoid the taint of an accounting scandal.
American Heritage
A trace of corruption, disgrace, evil, etc.
Webster's New World
An undesirable quality; a defect or shortcoming.
American Heritage
An infectious or contaminating trace; infection, decay, etc.
Webster's New World
The perineum.
American Heritage
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
contraction

Contraction of it ain’t.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Taint

Noun

Singular:
taint
Plural:
taints

Origin of Taint

  • Partly from obsolete taynt to color, dye (from Anglo-Norman teint) (from past participle of teindre) (from Latin tingere) and partly from Middle English tainten to convict (short for atteinten) (from Old French ataint) (past participle of ataindre to attain, touch upon attain)

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

  • From Latin tingere, tinctum via French teint (past participle of teindre (“to dye, to tinge"))

    From Wiktionary

  • From such phrases as ’tain’t asshole and ’tain’t pussy ’tain’t asshole and ’tain’t balls

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

  • From French atteinte (“a blow, stroke"). Compare with attaint.

    From Wiktionary

  • Reportedly from the phrase “'tain't your balls and 'tain't your ass".

    From Wiktionary

Taint Sentence Examples

  • It might taint Fred's open mind.

  • The whole profession could not escape taint by association.

  • That he came from the mortal world rather than the Immortal one had left a taint on him that no amount of success could get rid of.

  • The European half-castes are not prolific inter se, and they are subject to a scrofulous taint.

  • This is perhaps the explanation of the strange fact that the clients, who through their patrons were attached to these clans, obtained political recognition as early as the plebeians who had no such semiservile taint.

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Words Starting With

TTATAI

Words Ending With

TNTINT

Unscrambles

taint

Words Starting With T and Ending With T

Starts With T & Ends With TStarts With TA & Ends With TStarts With T & Ends With NT

Word Length

5 Letter Words5 Letter Words Starting With T5 Letter Words Ending With T