Dictionary Definition
taint n : the state of being contaminated [syn:
contamination]
Verb
1 place under suspicion or cast doubt upon;
"sully someone's reputation" [syn: defile, sully, corrupt, cloud]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
- tejnt
- Rhymes: -eɪnt
Etymology 1
From atteinte. Compare with attaint.Noun
Translations
A thrust with a lance, which fails of its
intended effect
An injury done to a lance in an encounter,
without its being broken
Etymology 2
From tingere, tinctum via teint (past participle of teindre)Noun
- A contamination, decay or putrefaction, especially in food
- A mark of disgrace, especially on one's character
Translations
A contamination, decay or putrefaction,
especially in food
- Finnish: pilaantuma
A mark of disgrace, especially on one's
character
- Finnish: häpeätahra
Verb
- To contaminate or corrupt (something) with an external agent, either physically or morally.
- To spoil (food) by contamination.
Translations
To contaminate or corrupt something with an
external agent, either physically or morally
- Finnish: pilata, saastuttaa, turmella
- German: verderben
To spoil food by contamination
- Finnish: pilata
- German: verderben
The perineum
- Finnish: väliliha
Extensive Definition
Taint may refer to:
- Spoilage or Contamination, as of food
- Cork taint, as in wine
- Taint checking, a feature in some programming languages
- Taint (slang), US English slang for the perineum
- Taint (band), a Sludge metal band from the UK.
- Taint (Legal), in reference to evidence obtained through illegal means.
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
abuse,
adulterate, aerial
infection, afflict,
aggrieve, airborne
infection, alloy, aroma, aspersion, attaint, attribute, badge, badge of infamy, bar
sinister, baton, bedaub, befoul, benasty, bend sinister, besmear, besmirch, besmoke, bespatter, bestain, bewitch, black eye, black mark,
blacken, blemish, blight, bloodstain, blot, blotch, blow upon, blur, brand, broad arrow, bug, cachet, canker, carrier, cast, catch, censure, champain, character, characteristic, cheapen, cloud, coarsen, communicability,
condemn, configuration, confound, contagion, contagiousness, contaminate, contamination, corrupt, crack, crucify, cryptogenic infection,
curse, cut, dab, damage, darken, dash, daub, debase, debauch, defame, defect, defection, deficiency, defile, deflower, degenerate, degrade, denature, deprave, desecrate, despoil, destroy, devalue, differentia, differential, direct
infection, dirty, disadvantage, disapprove, discolor, discredit, disease, dishonor, disparage, disparagement, disserve, distinctive feature,
distort, distress, do a mischief, do
evil, do ill, do wrong, do wrong by, doom, drawback, droplet infection,
dust infection, earmark,
envenom, epidemiology, expose, expose to infamy,
eyesore, failing, failure, fault, faute, feature, figure, flavor, flaw, fleck, flick, flyspeck, foible, foul, frailty, get into trouble,
gibbet, gust, hallmark, hand infection, hang
in effigy, harass,
harm, hex, hint, hole, hurt, idiocrasy, idiosyncrasy, impair, imperfection, impress, impression, imputation, inadequacy, index, indirect infection,
individualism,
infect, infection, infectiousness, infirmity, infusion, injure, inkling, intimation, jinx, keynote, kink, lineaments, little problem,
macula, maculation, macule, maltreat, mannerism, mark, mark of Cain, marking, menace, mess, mess up, mistreat, misuse, mold, molest, muddy, nasty, nature, odor, onus, outrage, particularity, patch, peculiarity, persecute, pervert, phytogenic infection,
pillory, pillorying, play havoc with,
play hob with, point champain, poison, pollute, prejudice, primary infection,
problem, property, prostitute, pyogenic
infection, quality,
quirk, ravage, ravish, reflection, reprimand, reproach, rift, ruin, sauce, savage, savor, scar, scathe, scorch, seal, sear, seasoning, secondary
infection, shade, shape, shortcoming, singe, singularity, slubber, slur, smack, smear, smirch, smoke, smouch, smudge, smut, smutch, snag, soil, something missing, soupcon, spatter, specialty, speck, speckle, spice, splash, splatter, splotch, spoil, spot, sprinkling, stain, stamp, stigma, stigmatism, stigmatization, stigmatize, subclinical
infection, suggestion, sully, suspicion, tang, tar, tarnish, taste, tempering, thought, threaten, tinct, tincture, tinge, tint, token, torment, torture, touch, trace, trait, trick, twist, ulcerate, vector, vestige, vilify, violate, virus, vitiate, vulgarize, vulnerable place,
warp, waterborne infection,
weak link, weak point, weakness, wound, wreak havoc on, wrong, zoogenic
infection