taint

taint
I. verb Etymology: Middle English teynten to color & taynten to attaint; Middle English teynten, from Anglo-French teinter, from teint, past participle of teindre, from Latin tingere; Middle English taynten, short for attaynten — more at tinge, attain Date: 1573 transitive verb 1. to contaminate morally ; corrupt <
scholarship tainted by envy
>
2. to affect with putrefaction ; spoil 3. to touch or affect slightly with something bad <
persons tainted with prejudice
>
intransitive verb 1. obsolete to become weak 2. to become affected with putrefaction ; spoil Synonyms: see contaminate II. noun Date: 1601 a contaminating mark or influence <
the taint of scandal
>
taintless adjective

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Taint — may refer to: *Spoilage or contamination *Cork taint, as in wine *Taint checking, a feature in some programming languages *US English slang for the perineum *Taint (band), a sludge metal band from the UK *Taint (legal), in reference to evidence… …   Wikipedia

  • taint — / tānt/ vt: to damage or destroy the validity of evidence taint ed by an illegal search taint n Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 …   Law dictionary

  • Taint — Taint, v. t. [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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • taint´ed|ly — taint|ed «TAYN tihd», adjective. 1. affected with any taint; stained, tinged, contaminated, infected, corrupted, or depraved: »The death toll from tainted liquor in Spain rose to 22…and officials feared that it would go higher (New York Times). 2 …   Useful english dictionary

  • taint|ed — «TAYN tihd», adjective. 1. affected with any taint; stained, tinged, contaminated, infected, corrupted, or depraved: »The death toll from tainted liquor in Spain rose to 22…and officials feared that it would go higher (New York Times). 2. Archaic …   Useful english dictionary

  • Taint — 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.] [1913 Webster] Do not fear; I have A staff to taint, and bravely. Massinger. [1913 Webster] 2. To… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Taint — Taint, n. [Cf. F. atteinte a blow, bit, stroke. See {Attaint}.] 1. A thrust with a lance, which fails of its intended effect. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] This taint he followed with his sword drawn from a silver sheath. Chapman. [1913 Webster] 2. An… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Taint — Taint, v. i. 1. To be infected or corrupted; to be touched with something corrupting. [1913 Webster] I can not taint with fear. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. To be affected with incipient putrefaction; as, meat soon taints in warm weather. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Taint — Taint, n. 1. Tincture; hue; color; tinge. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] 2. Infection; corruption; deprivation. [1913 Webster] He had inherited from his parents a scrofulous taint, which it was beyond the power of medicine to remove. Macaulay. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Taint — Taint, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Tainted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Tainting}.] To thrust ineffectually with a lance. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Taint — Taint, v. t. Aphetic form of {Attaint}. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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