stain
Etymology

From Middle English steinen, steynen, of gmq origin, from Old Norse steina, from steinn, from gmq-pro ᛊᛏᚨᛁᚾᚨᛉ, from Proto-Germanic *stainaz, from Proto-Indo-European *steyh₂-.

Replaced native Middle English wem (“spot, blemish, stain”) from Old English wem (“spot, stain”).

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 destaindre (“to remove the color from, bleach”), from des- ("dis-, de-, un-") + teindre ("to dye"), from Latin tingo.

Pronunciation Noun

stain (plural stains)

  1. A discolored spot or area caused by spillage or other contact with certain fluids or substances.
  2. A blemish on one's character or reputation.
  3. A substance used to soak into a surface and colour it.
  4. A reagent or dye used to stain microscope specimens so as to make some structures visible.
  5. (heraldry) One of a number of non-standard tinctures used chiefly in post-medieval heraldry, especially tenné, murrey, or sanguine.
Translations Translations Translations Translations Verb

stain (stains, present participle staining; simple past and past participle stained)

  1. (transitive) To discolor, as by spilling or other contact with a fluid or substance.
    to stain the hand with dye
    armour stained with blood
  2. To taint or tarnish someone's character or reputation
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC ↗:
      of Honour void,
      Of Innocence, of Faith, of Puritie,
      Our wonted Ornaments now soild and staind
  3. To coat a surface with a stain
    to stain wood with acids, coloured washes, paint rubbed in, etc.
    the stained glass used for church windows
  4. (intransitive) To become stained; to take a stain.
  5. (transitive, cytology, histology) To treat (a microscopic specimen) with a dye, especially one that dyes specific features
  6. To cause to seem inferior or soiled by comparison.
    • c. 1607–1611, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “Cupid's Revenge”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1679, →OCLC ↗, Act II, scene ii:
      She stains the ripest virgins of her age.
    • 1591, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], Daphnaïda. An Elegy upon the Death of the Noble and Vertuous Douglas Howard,Daughter and Heire of Henry Lord Howard, Viscount Byndon, and Wife of Arthure Gorges Esquier. […], London: […] [Thomas Orwin] for William Ponsonby, […], →OCLC ↗:
      that did all other beasts in beauty stain
Translations Translations Translations Translations


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