/ steɪn; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
1.
stain (sth) (with sth) to leave a mark that is difficult to remove on sth; to be marked in this way :
[ vn ]
I hope it doesn't stain the carpet.
[ v ]
This carpet stains easily.
[ vn - adj ]
The juice from the berries stained their fingers red.
➡ note at mark
2.
to change the colour of sth using a coloured liquid :
[ vn ]
to stain wood
Stain the specimen before looking at it under the microscope.
[ vn - adj ]
They stained the floors dark brown.
3.
[ vn ] ( formal ) to damage the opinion that people have of sth :
The events had stained the city's reputation unfairly.
■ noun
1.
[ C ] a dirty mark on sth, that is difficult to remove :
a blood / a coffee / an ink, etc. stain
stubborn stains (= that are very difficult to remove)
How can I get this stain out?
The carpet has been treated so that it is stain-resistant (= it does not stain easily) .
2.
[ U , C ] a liquid used for changing the colour of wood or cloth
3.
[ sing. ] a ~ on sth ( formal ) something that damages a person's reputation, so that people think badly of them
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (as a verb): shortening of archaic distain , from Old French desteindre tinge with a colour different from the natural one. The noun was first recorded (mid 16th cent.) in the sense defilement, disgrace .