I. ˈstān verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English steynen, partly from Middle French desteindre to discolor & partly of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse steina to paint — more at distain
transitive verb
1. : to discolor with foreign matter : make foul (as with spots or blemishes)
2. : to impart to or suffuse with color
like wine that stains a pearly glass — Elinor Wylie
3.
a. : to corrupt or defile morally : taint with guilt, vice, or corruption
b. : to inflict a stigma upon : bring reproach on
4. obsolete : to eclipse by superior beauty or excellence
5. obsolete : to obscure the luster of
whether poverty … staineth nobility — Henry Peacham
6. : to color (as wood, glass, paper, or cloth) by processes affecting chemically or otherwise the material itself : tinge with a color combining with or penetrating the substance
stain wood with acids
— compare dye
7. : to foil (the scent of the quarry) especially by the passage of hounds, horses, cattle, or other animals over the track
intransitive verb
: to receive a stain : absorb coloring matter
II. noun
( -s )
1. : something that stains: as
a. : a discoloration by foreign matter : spot
a stain on his shirt
water stains
weather stains
mineral stain
b. : a discoloration of the skin : blotch
c. : a natural spot of color different from the ground
swift trouts, diversified with crimson stains — Alexander Pope
2. obsolete : a cause of reproach or disgrace
stain to thy countrymen, thou hear'st thy doom — Shakespeare
3. : a taint of guilt (as on one's character, conscience, or reputation) : a mark of disgrace or infamy : a usually grave blemish : stigma , tarnish
on him had fallen … the stain of the massacres — J.A.Froude
degrades … the unhappy issue of the marriage by fixing upon it the stain of bastardy — R.B.Taney
4. : a dye, pigment, or preparation used in staining:
a. : a solution or dispersion of a dye or pigment in a vehicle (as water, alcohols, or oils) that is usually thinner than a paint or other coating, transparent, and capable of penetrating the pores of wood or other material instead of forming a protective surface
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 microchemical reactions