taint

See also: 'taint

English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /teɪnt/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪnt

Etymology 1

From Latin tingere, tinctum via French teint (past participle of teindre (“to dye, to tinge”))

Noun

taint (plural taints)

  1. A contamination, decay or putrefaction, especially in food
  2. A mark of disgrace, especially on one's character; blemish
  3. (obsolete) tincture; hue; colour
  4. (obsolete) infection; corruption; deprivation
    • Macaulay
      He had inherited from his parents a scrofulous taint, which it was beyond the power of medicine to remove.
Translations

Verb

taint (third-person singular simple present taints, present participle tainting, simple past and past participle tainted)

  1. (transitive) To contaminate or corrupt (something) with an external agent, either physically or morally.
    • Shakespeare
      His unkindness may defeat my life, / But never taint my love.
  2. (transitive) To spoil (food) by contamination.
  3. (intransitive) To be infected or corrupted; to be touched by something corrupting.
    • Shakespeare
      I cannot taint with fear.
  4. (intransitive) To be affected with incipient putrefaction.
    Meat soon taints in warm weather.
  5. (transitive, computing, programming) To mark (a variable) as unsafe, so that operations involving it are subject to additional security checks.
  6. (transitive, Australia, finance) To invalidate (a share capital account) by transferring profits into it.
Translations

Etymology 2

From French atteinte (“a blow, stroke”). Compare with attaint.

Noun

taint (plural taints)

  1. A thrust with a lance, which fails of its intended effect.
  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.
Translations

Verb

taint (third-person singular simple present taints, present participle tainting, simple past and past participle tainted)

  1. (transitive) To damage, as a lance, without breaking it; also, to break, as a lance, but usually in an unknightly or unscientific manner.
    • Massinger
      Do not fear; I have / A staff to taint, and bravely.
  2. (transitive) To hit or touch lightly, in tilting.
    • Ld. Berners
      They tainted each other on the helms and passed by.
  3. (intransitive) To thrust ineffectually with a lance.

Etymology 3

Reportedly from the phrase “'tain't your balls and 'tain't your ass”.

Noun

taint (plural taints)

  1. (slang) The perineum.
    • 2000 June 17, "Marc Newman" (username), "Re: Americas are overated", in talk.politics.guns, Usenet:
      Sorry you feel that way. But since your mother sucks cocks in hell if I go there I won't be rotting.....I'll be on line right behind you hoping to get another good head job from your Mom or Sister....if you can remember which is which.......(Moms the one with the beard on her taint)
    • 2005 July 14, "Noodles Jefferson" (username), "Re: My Wife's Raw Comments", in rec.sport.pro-wrestling, Usenet:
      Even her taint's raw?
    • 2010 February 22, "Duchamanos" (username), "Re: Huck Finn 2010-anyone going?", in rec.sport.disc, Usenet:
      Did you know that guy has absolutely no tan lines? He'll show his taint to prove it!
Translations

Etymology 4

Contraction of it ain't.

Contraction

taint

  1. Alternative spelling of 'taint

Anagrams

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