stain
(stān)v. stained, stain·ing, stains
v.tr.
1. To discolor, soil, or spot: The spilled juice stained the carpet.
2. To bring into disrepute; taint or tarnish: The scandal stained the mayor's reputation.
3. To change the color of (a piece of wood, for example) by applying a stain.
4. To treat (a specimen for the microscope) with a reagent or dye in order to identify cell or tissue structures or microorganisms.
v.intr.
To produce or receive discolorations: upholstery that stains easily.
n.
1. A discolored or soiled spot or smudge: a stain that was difficult to scrub out.
2. A diminishment of one's moral character or good reputation by being associated with something disgraceful.
3. A liquid substance applied especially to wood that penetrates the surface and imparts a rich color.
4. A reagent or dye used for staining microscopic specimens.
[Middle English steinen, partly from Old French desteindre, desteign-, to deprive of color (des-, dis- + teindre, to dye, from Latin tingere), and partly from Old Norse steina, to paint.]
stain′a·ble adj.
stain′er n.
Synonyms: stain, blot1, brand, stigma, taint
These nouns denote a mark of discredit or disgrace, as on one's good name: a stain on his honor; a blot on an otherwise clean police record; the brand of cowardice; the stigma of ignominious defeat; the taint of political corruption.
These nouns denote a mark of discredit or disgrace, as on one's good name: a stain on his honor; a blot on an otherwise clean police record; the brand of cowardice; the stigma of ignominious defeat; the taint of political corruption.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Noun | 1. | staining - (histology) the use of a dye to color specimens for microscopic study dyeing - the use of dye to change the color of something permanently Gram method, Gram stain, Gram's method, Gram's procedure, Gram's stain - a staining technique used to classify bacteria; bacteria are stained with gentian violet and then treated with Gram's solution; after being decolorized with alcohol and treated with safranine and washed in water, those that retain the gentian violet are Gram-positive and those that do not retain it are Gram-negative histology - the branch of biology that studies the microscopic structure of animal or plant tissues |
| 2. |  staining - the act of spotting or staining something |
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