taint
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to spoil something by adding a small amount of something harmful or dirty.
v.to contaminate or corrupt something by the introduction of an external agent, whether physical or moral.
Simple“The chemicals from the factory began to taint the local water supply.”
In context“The investigation revealed that the evidence had been tainted by improper handling, rendering it inadmissible in the upcoming trial.”
UsageUsually transitive, requiring a direct object that is being spoiled.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
v.to mark computer data as unsafe so the system checks it for security risks.
v.to mark a variable or data input as untrusted or unsafe, requiring subsequent security validation before processing.
Simple“The program will taint any data that comes directly from a user's input.”
In context“By using a taint-analysis tool, the developers identified several entry points where unvalidated strings could lead to a buffer overflow.”
UsageCommonly used in the context of 'taint analysis' or 'taint checking'.
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a small amount of something bad that ruins the quality of something or someone's reputation.
n.a mark of disgrace or a trace of a bad quality that spoils the reputation of a person or the integrity of an object.
Simple“The scandal left a permanent taint on the politician's long career.”
In context“Despite his acquittal, the taint of suspicion lingered in the minds of the public for years to come.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a slang word for the area of the body between the genitals and the anus.
n.a vulgar slang term for the perineum.
Simple“He made a crude joke about his taint after the long bike ride.”
In context“The comedian's routine relied heavily on vulgar anatomical references, including several mentions of the taint.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is highly informal and considered offensive in most social or professional settings.
Synonymsperineum
“They hope to taint voter perception of the candidates or ballot initiatives to which they donate.”
“How can someone from far away seize control of a water system and possibly shut off the flow or taint the water?”
From Middle French teint, from Old French teint (past participle of teindre (“to dye, to tinge”)), from Latin tinctum (past participle of tingere); compare tint.
From Middle English taynt, aphetic form of attaynt, atteynt, from Old French atteinte (“a blow, stroke”). Compare with attaint.
Reportedly from the phrase “'tain't your balls and 'tain't your ass”. Ascribed to E.E. Landy's Underground Dict. (1972) is the following explanation: ‘'taint their ass and 'taint their pussy.’
Contraction of it + ain't.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.