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Stain

//steɪn// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A discolored spot or area caused by spillage or other contact with certain fluids or substances.
  2. 2
    an act that brings discredit to the person who does it wordnet
  3. 3
    A blemish on one's character or reputation.
  4. 4
    a soiled or discolored appearance wordnet
  5. 5
    A substance used to soak into a surface and colour it.

    "The wood will darken whether it is stained or not—the main function of a stain is to enhance the wood's natural color and emphasize its grain."

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  1. 6
    a symbol of disgrace or infamy wordnet
  2. 7
    A reagent or dye used to stain microscope specimens so as to make some structures visible.
  3. 8
    anything regarded as making something unclean wordnet
  4. 9
    One of a number of non-standard tinctures used chiefly in post-medieval heraldry, especially tenné, murrey, or sanguine.
  5. 10
    (microscopy) a dye or other coloring material that is used in microscopy to make structures visible wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To discolor, as by spilling or other contact with a fluid or substance. transitive

    "to stain the hand with dye"

  2. 2
    color for microscopic study wordnet
  3. 3
    To taint or tarnish someone's character or reputation

    "of Honour void, Of Innocence, of Faith, of Puritie, Our wonted Ornaments now soild and staind"

  4. 4
    color with a liquid dye or tint wordnet
  5. 5
    To coat a surface with a stain

    "to stain wood with acids, coloured washes, paint rubbed in, etc."

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  1. 6
    produce or leave stains wordnet
  2. 7
    To become stained; to take a stain. intransitive
  3. 8
    make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically wordnet
  4. 9
    To treat (a microscopic specimen) with a dye, especially one that dyes specific features transitive
  5. 10
    To cause to seem inferior or soiled by comparison.

    "She stains the ripest virgins of her age."

Etymology

Etymology 1

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 blue, colour, stain”), from Proto-Norse ᛊᛏᚨᛁᚾᚨᛉ (stainaʀ), from Proto-Germanic *stainaz (“stone”), from Proto-Indo-European *steyh₂- (“to stiffen”). Cognate with Old English stān (“stone”). More at stone. Replaced native Middle English wem (“spot, blemish, stain”), from Old English wamm (“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.

Etymology 2

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 blue, colour, stain”), from Proto-Norse ᛊᛏᚨᛁᚾᚨᛉ (stainaʀ), from Proto-Germanic *stainaz (“stone”), from Proto-Indo-European *steyh₂- (“to stiffen”). Cognate with Old English stān (“stone”). More at stone. Replaced native Middle English wem (“spot, blemish, stain”), from Old English wamm (“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.

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