[stain] vb [ME steynen, partly fr. MF desteindre to discolor & partly of Scand origin; akin to ON steina to paint--more at distain] vt (14c) 1: to suffuse with color
2: discolor, soil 3 a: to taint with guilt, vice, or corruption b: to bring reproach on
4: to color (as wood, glass, or cloth) by processes affecting chemically or otherwise the material itself ~ vi: to receive a stain -- stain.able adj -- stain.er n
[2]stain n (1583) 1 a: a soiled or discolored spot b: a natural spot of color contrasting with the ground
2: a taint of guilt: stigma 3 a: a preparation (as of dye or pigment) used in staining; esp: one capable of penetrating the pores of wood b: a dye or mixture of dyes used in microscopy to make visible minute and transparent structures, to differentiate tissue elements, or to produce specific chemical reactions -- stain.proof adj