tarnish
(noun) discoloration of metal surface caused by oxidation
tarnish, stain, maculate, sully, defile
(verb) make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically; “The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air”; “Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
tarnish (usually uncountable, plural tarnishes)
Oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air.
tarnish (third-person singular simple present tarnishes, present participle tarnishing, simple past and past participle tarnished)
(intransitive) To oxidize or discolor due to oxidation.
(transitive) To soil, sully, damage or compromise
(intransitive, figurative) To lose its lustre or attraction; to become dull.
• Hartins, rantish
Source: Wiktionary
Tar"nish, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tarnished; p. pr. & vb. n. Tarnishing.] Etym: [F. ternir, fr. OHG. tarnen to darken, to conceal, hide; akin to OS. dernian to hide, AS. dernan, dyrnan, OHG. tarni hidden, OS. derni, AS. derne, dyrne. Cf. Dern, a., and see -ish.]
Definition: To soil, or change the appearance of, especially by an alternation induced by the air, or by dust, or the like; to diminish, dull, or destroy the luster of; to sully; as, to tarnish a metal; to tarnish gilding; to tarnish the purity of color. "Tarnished lace." Fuller. Used also figuratively; as, to tarnish one's honor.
Syn.
– To sully; stain; dim.
Tar"nish, v. i.
Definition: To lose luster; to become dull; as, gilding will tarnish in a foul air. Till thy fresh glories, which now shine so bright, Grow stale and tarnish with our daily sight. Dryden.
Tar"nish, n.
1. The quality or state of being tarnished; stain; soil; blemish.
2. (Min.)
Definition: A thin film on the surface of a metal, usually due to a slight alteration of the original color; as, the steel tarnish in columbite.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
3 July 2025
(noun) the faculty through which the external world is apprehended; “in the dark he had to depend on touch and on his senses of smell and hearing”
The world’s most expensive coffee costs more than US$700 per kilogram. Asian palm civet – a cat-like creature in Indonesia, eats fruits, including select coffee cherries. It excretes partially digested seeds that produce a smooth, less acidic brew of coffee called kopi luwak.
