taint

Meaning

Noun

1. A contamination, decay or putrefaction, especially in food.
2. A tinge, trace or touch.
3. A mark of disgrace, especially on one's character; blemish.
4. (obsolete) Tincture; hue; colour.
5. (obsolete) Infection; corruption; deprivation.
6. A marker indicating that a variable is unsafe and should be subjected to additional security checks.

Verb

1. (transitive) To contaminate or corrupt (something) with an external agent, either physically or morally.
2. (transitive) To spoil (food) by contamination.
3. (intransitive) To be infected or corrupted; to be touched by something corrupting.
4. (intransitive) To be affected with incipient putrefaction.
5. (transitive) To mark (a variable) as unsafe, so that operations involving it are subject to additional security checks.
6. (Australia, transitive) To invalidate (a share capital account) by transferring profits into it.

Verb

1. (transitive) To damage, as a lance, without breaking it; also, to break, as a lance, but usually in an unknightly or unscientific manner.
2. (intransitive) To thrust ineffectually with a lance.

Contraction

Alternative spelling of 'taint.

Synonyms

corrupt

contaminate

stain

defile

blemish

pollute

infect

tarnish

sully

flaw

spoil

foul

contamination

deprave

ruin

soil

blot

debauch

smirch

deface

defect

cloud

☁️

stigma

pervert

poison

corruption

debase

smear

macula

maculate

mar

mire

misfortune

moil

muck

muddy

murder

noxa

obscure

patch

profane

put in

rape

record

reproach

rot

rotten

slur

smack

smudge

Translations

verderben

μολύνω

infecter

contaminare

inficio infeci infectum

aansteken

bederf

infection

macchiare

tache

corrompre

μόλυνση

κληρονομικό ελάττωμα

contaminer

besmetten

Pronounced as (IPA)

/teɪnt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: taynt

In summary

From Middle French teint, from Old French teint (past participle of teindre (“to dye, to tinge”)), from Latin tinctum (past participle of tingere); compare tint.