TAINTING

Verb

tainting

present participle of taint

Source: Wiktionary


TAINT

Taint, n. Etym: [Cf. F. atteinte a blow, bit, stroke. See Attaint.]

1. A thrust with a lance, which fails of its intended effect. [Obs.] This taint he followed with his sword drawn from a silver sheath. Chapman.

2. An injury done to a lance in an encounter, without its being broken; also, a breaking of a lance in an encounter in a dishonorable or unscientific manner. [Obs.]

Taint, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Tainted; p. pr. & vb. n. Tainting.]

Definition: To thrust ineffectually with a lance. [Obs.]

Taint, v. t.

1. To injure, as a lance, without breaking it; also, to break, as a lance, but usually in an unknightly or unscientific manner. [Obs.] Do not fear; I have A staff to taint, and bravely. Massinger.

2. To hit or touch lightly, in tilting. [Obs.] They tainted each other on the helms and passed by. Ld. Berners.

Taint, v. t. Etym: [F. teint, p.p. of teindre to dye, tinge, fr. L. tingere, tinctum. See Tinge, and cf. Tint.]

1. To imbue or impregnate with something extraneous, especially with something odious, noxious, or poisonous; hence, to corrupt; to infect; to poison; as, putrid substance taint the air.

2. Fig.: To stain; to sully; to tarnish. His unkindness may defeat my life, But never taint my love. Shak.

Syn.

– To contaminate; defile; pollute; corrupt; infect; disease; vitiate; poison.

Taint, v. i.

1. To be infected or corrupted; to be touched with something corrupting. I can not taint with fear. Shak.

2. To be affected with incipient putrefaction; as, meat soon taints in warm weather.

Taint, n.

1. Tincture; hue; color; tinge. [Obs.]

2. Infection; corruption; deprivation. He had inherited from his parents a scrofulous taint, which it was beyond the power of medicine to remove. Macaulay.

3. A blemish on reputation; stain; spot; disgrace.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

30 November 2024

HYPOTHETICAL

(noun) a hypothetical possibility, circumstance, statement, proposal, situation, etc.; “consider the following, just as a hypothetical”


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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, on 25 September 2016, the Birla Institute of Management Technology (India) in Uttar Pradesh, India, constructed the largest coffee cups pyramid consisting of 23,821 cups. They used paper takeaway coffee cups to build the pyramid.

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