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stain

n. · v.
US //ˈsteɪn// UK //stˈeɪn// stain
  1. 1 a dirty mark (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a dirty mark on something like clothes or a carpet that is difficult to remove.

    a discoloured spot or area on a surface caused by contact with a foreign substance, typically one that is difficult to clean.

    Example

    I spilled some coffee on my white shirt and now there is a brown stain.

    Example

    The red wine left a stubborn stain on the ivory carpet that resisted even the most aggressive professional cleaning agents.
  2. 2 wood/specimen dye (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Science

    a liquid used to colour wood or to make tiny things visible under a microscope.

    a substance used to penetrate a surface for colouring, or a reagent used to highlight structures in microscopic specimens.

    Example

    We chose a dark oak stain for the new kitchen floor.

    Example

    The lab technician applied a fluorescent stain to the tissue sample to make the cellular nuclei clearly visible under the microscope.
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  1. 3 damage to reputation (n.)
    C1 Advanced Literary Formal

    something that makes people think less of a person's character or name.

    a metaphorical blemish or taint on a person's reputation or moral character.

    Example

    The scandal was a permanent stain on the politician's career.

    Example

    The false accusations remained a stain on his professional integrity long after he had been officially cleared of any wrongdoing.
  2. 4 to leave a mark (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to leave a mark on something that is hard to clean.

    to discolour a surface through contact with a substance; can be used transitively or intransitively.

    Example

    Be careful with those berries because the juice will stain your fingers.

    Example

    The spilled ink quickly soaked into the porous wooden desk, staining the surface permanently before anyone could find a cloth.

    Usage

    Often used in the passive voice when describing damaged clothing.
  3. 5 to apply colour (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Cooking

    to change the colour of something, like wood, using a special liquid.

    to treat a surface with a pigment or dye that penetrates the material rather than sitting on top.

    Example

    He decided to stain the fence dark green to match the garden gate.

    Example

    The carpenter stained the mahogany panels to enhance the natural grain before applying the final protective wax.
Origin

From Middle English steinen, steynen (“to stain, colour, paint”), of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse steina (“to stain, colour, paint”), from steinn (“stone, mineral blue, colour, stain”), from Proto-Norse ᛊᛏᚨᛁᚾᚨᛉ (stainaʀ), from Proto-Germanic stainaz (“stone”), from Proto-Indo-European steyh₂- (“to stiffen”). Cognate with Old English stān (“stone”). More at stone. Replaced native Middle English wem (“spot, blemish, stain”), from Old English wamm (“spot, stain”). In some senses, influenced by unrelated Middle English disteynen (“to discolor, remove the colour from"; literally, "de-colour”), from Anglo-Norman desteindre (“to remove the colour from, bleach”), from Old French destaindre (“to remove the color from, bleach”), from des- (“dis-, de-, un-”) + teindre (“to dye”), from Latin tingo.

Word family
Idioms1 entry

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