taint

1
[ teynt ]
/ teɪnt /

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

to become tainted; spoil.

Origin of taint

1
1325–75; conflation of Middle English taynt, aphetic variant of attaint struck, attainted, past participle of attainten to attaint; late Middle English taynt hue, tint < Anglo-French teint (< Latin tinctus, equivalent to ting(ere) to dye, tinge + -tus suffix of v. action); and teinte < Late Latin tincta inked stroke, noun use of feminine of past participle of tingere

OTHER WORDS FROM taint

un·taint·ed, adjective un·taint·ing, adjective

Words nearby taint

Example sentences from the Web for untainted

British Dictionary definitions for untainted (1 of 2)

untainted
/ (ʌnˈteɪntɪd) /

adjective

not tarnished, contaminated, or polluted he was untainted by the scandal

British Dictionary definitions for untainted (2 of 2)

taint
/ (teɪnt) /

verb

to affect or be affected by pollution or contamination oil has tainted the water
to tarnish (someone's reputation, etc)

noun

a defect or flaw a taint on someone's reputation
a trace of contamination or infection

Derived forms of taint

taintless, adjective

Word Origin for taint

C14: (influenced by attaint infected, from attain) from Old French teindre to dye, from Latin tingere to dye