Definitions for stain
steɪnstain

Princeton's WordNet(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. stain, discoloration, discolourationnoun

   a soiled or discolored appearance

   "the wine left a dark stain"

2. stainnoun

   (microscopy) a dye or other coloring material that is used in microscopy to make structures visible

3. dirt, filth, grime, soil, stain, grease, grungenoun

   the state of being covered with unclean things

4. mark, stigma, brand, stainnoun

   a symbol of disgrace or infamy

   "And the Lord set a mark upon Cain"--Genesis

5. blot, smear, smirch, spot, stainverb

   an act that brings discredit to the person who does it

   "he made a huge blot on his copybook"

6. stainverb

   color with a liquid dye or tint

   "Stain this table a beautiful walnut color"; "people knew how to stain glass a beautiful blue in the middle ages"

7. stainverb

   produce or leave stains

   "Red wine stains the table cloth"

8. tarnish, stain, maculate, sully, defileverb

   make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically

   "The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air"; "Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man"

9. stainverb

   color for microscopic study

   "The laboratory worker dyed the specimen"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. stainnoun

   A discoloured spot or area.

2. stainnoun

   A blemish on one's character or reputation.

3. stainnoun

   A substance used to soak into a surface and colour it.

4. stainnoun

   A reagent or dye used to stain microscope specimens so as to make some structures visible.

5. stainverb

   To discolour something

6. stainverb

   To taint or tarnish someone's character or reputation

7. stainverb

   To coat a surface with a stain

8. stainverb

   To treat a microscope specimen with a dye

9. Etymology: From steinen, steynen, of origin, from steina, from steinn, from stainaz, from stAy-. Cognate with stan. More at stone.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Stainnoun

   Etymology: from the verb.

   1. Blot; spot; discoloration.

   Nor death itself can wholly wash their stains;
   But long contracted filth ev’n in the soul remains:
   The reliques of inveterate vice they wear,
   And spots of sin. John Dryden, Æn.

   We no where meet with a more pleasing show than what appears in the heavens at the rising and setting of the sun, which is wholly made up of those different stains of light that shew themselves in clouds of a different situation. Addison.

   Swift trouts diversify’d with crimson stains,
   And pikes, the tyrants of the wat’ry plains. Alexander Pope.

   2. Taint of guilt or infamy.

   To solemn actions of royalty and justice their suitable ornaments are a beauty: are they only in religion a stain? Richard Hooker.

   Our opinion, concerning the force and virtue which such places have, is, I trust, without any blemish or stain of heresy. Richard Hooker.

   Then heav’n and earth renew’d, shall be made pure
   To sanctity, that shall receive no stain. John Milton, Par. Lost.

   Ulysses bids his friends to cast lots; for if he had made the choice himself, they whom he had rejected might have judged it a stain upon them for want of merit. William Broome.

   3. Cause of reproach; shame.

   Hereby I will lead her that is the praise, and yet the stain of all womankind. Philip Sidney.

2. To STAINverb

   Etymology: ystaenio, Welsh, from ys and taenu. Rhag Gwyar or Gnawd,
   Afar ystaenawd.
   Taliessyn, an old British poet.

   1. To blot; to spot; to maculate.

   Lend me a looking-glass;
   If that her breath will mist or stain the stone,
   Why then she lives. William Shakespeare, King Lear.

   From the gash a stream
   His armour stain’d, ere while so bright. John Milton.

   Embrace again, my sons: be foes no more,
   Nor stain your country with your children’s gore. Dryden.

   2. To disgrace; to spot with guilt or infamy.

   Of honour void, of innocence, of faith, of purity,
   Our wonted ornaments now soil’d and stain’d. John Milton.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Stainverb

   to discolor by the application of foreign matter; to make foul; to spot; as, to stain the hand with dye; armor stained with blood

2. Stainverb

   to color, as wood, glass, paper, cloth, or the like, by processess affecting, chemically or otherwise, the material itself; to tinge with a color or colors combining with, or penetrating, the substance; to dye; as, to stain wood with acids, colored washes, paint rubbed in, etc.; to stain glass

3. Stainverb

   to spot with guilt or infamy; to bring reproach on; to blot; to soil; to tarnish

4. Stainverb

   to cause to seem inferior or soiled by comparison

5. Stainverb

   to give or receive a stain; to grow dim

6. Stainnoun

   a discoloration by foreign matter; a spot; as, a stain on a garment or cloth

7. Stainnoun

   a natural spot of a color different from the gound

8. Stainnoun

   taint of guilt; tarnish; disgrace; reproach

9. Stainnoun

   cause of reproach; shame

10. Stainnoun

    a tincture; a tinge

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Stain

   A stain is a discoloration that can be clearly distinguished from the surface, material, or medium it is found upon. They are caused by the chemical or physical interaction of two dissimilar materials. Staining is used for biochemical research, metal staining, and art.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Stain

   stān, v.t. to tinge or colour: to give a different colour to: to impregnate, as a tissue, with some substance whose reaction colours some parts but not others, thus making form or structure plainly visible: to dye: to mark with guilt or infamy: to bring reproach on: to sully: to tarnish.—v.i. to take or impart a stain.—n. a discoloration: a spot: taint of guilt: cause of reproach: shame.—n. Stain′er, one who stains or blots: a dyer.—adj. Stain′less, without or free from stain.—adv. Stain′lessly.—n. Stain′lessness.—Stained glass, glass painted with certain pigments fused into its surface. [Short for distain—O. Fr. desteindre—L. dis-, away, tingĕre, to dye.]

Matched Categories

1. • Appearance
   • Change
   • Coloring Material
   • Dirtiness
   • Dye
   • Microscopy
   • Symbol

Anagrams for stain »

1. antis

2. saint

3. Saint

4. satin

5. sat in

6. tians

7. tisan

How to pronounce stain?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say stain in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of stain in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of stain in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of stain in a Sentence

1. Kelisa Wing/Twitter:

   Kelisa Wing is an embarrassment to the Department and a stain on this country, she clearly has no business serving in government.

2. Kamala Harris:

   Lynching is a reprehensible stain on this nation's history, as is The President. We'll never erase the pain and trauma of lynching, and to invoke that torture to whitewash your own corruption is disgraceful.

3. Lauren McLean:

   The antisemitic messages contained in the graffiti found along the Greenbelt put a literal and figurative stain on Boise Parks and Recreation workers community. This will not be tolerated, hate speech is reprehensible. It is not who( Boise Parks and Recreation workers) are as a city and is not part of Boise Parks and Recreation workers shared values. I invite all good people of Boise to stand with me, as I stand with Boise Parks and Recreation workers Jewish neighbors, to rebuke this hate.

4. Michael McCaul:

   And I think the President -- this is going to be a stain on this President and this presidency. And I think he's going to have blood on his hands for what they did.

5. John Bolton:

   Trump's disgraceful firing of Ellen Knight is another stain on his presidency, those in the NSC and White House Counsel's office who tried to intimidate Ms. Ellen Knight, and then carried out Trump's personal vendetta, should be held to account.

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