Stain definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

stain in British English · 1. to mark or discolour with patches of something that dirties · 2. to dye with a penetrating dyestuff or pigment · 3. to bring disgrace ... EnglishDictionary Thesaurus WordLists Grammar EnglishEasyLearningGrammar GrammarPatterns EnglishUsage TeachingResources VideoGuides Conjugations Sentences Video LearnEnglish Videopronunciations Buildyourvocabulary Quiz Englishgrammar Englishcollocations Englishconfusables Englishidioms Englishusage Thematicwordlists English French German Italian Spanish Portuguese Hindi Chinese Korean Japanese Definitionof 'stain'    WordFrequency Share× Credits× stain (steɪn ) Wordforms:plural,3rdpersonsingularpresent tensestains ,presentparticiplestaining ,pasttense,pastparticiplestained 1. countablenoun Astainisamarkonsomethingthatisdifficulttoremove. Removestainsbysoakinginamildsolutionofbleach. ...ablackstain. Synonyms:mark,spot,blot,blemish MoreSynonymsofstain 2. verb Ifaliquidstainssomething,thethingbecomescolouredormarkedbytheliquid. Somefoodscanstaintheteeth,asofcoursecansmoking.[VERBnoun] Synonyms:mark,soil,discolour,dirty MoreSynonymsofstain stained adjective[usuallyverb-linkADJECTIVE]Hisclothingwasstainedwithmud. -stained combiningform...ink-stainedfingers. MoreSynonymsofstain COBUILDAdvancedEnglishDictionary.Copyright©HarperCollinsPublishers Video:pronunciationof stain Youmayalsolike EnglishQuizConfusables Synonymsof'stain' LanguageLover'sBlog FrenchTranslationof'stain' Translateyourtext PronunciationPlaylists Wordoftheday:'Aliceband' HindiTranslationof'stain' NEWfromCollins! EnglishGrammar CollinsApps WordFrequency staininBritishEnglish (steɪn ) verb(mainlytr)1. tomarkordiscolourwithpatchesofsomethingthatdirties thedresswasstainedwithcoffee 2. todyewithapenetratingdyestufforpigment 3. tobringdisgraceorshameon tostainsomeone'shonour 4. tocolour(specimens)formicroscopicstudybytreatmentwithadyeorsimilarreagent 5. (intransitive) toproduceindeliblemarksordiscoloration doesinkstain? noun6. aspot,mark,ordiscoloration 7. amoraltaint;blemishorslur 8. adyeorsimilarreagent,usedtocolourspecimensformicroscopicstudy 9. asolutionorliquidusedtopenetratethesurfaceofamaterial,espwood,andimpartarichcolourwithoutcoveringupthesurfaceorgrain 10. anydyethatismadeintoasolutionandusedtocolourtextilesandhides CollinsEnglishDictionary.Copyright©HarperCollinsPublishers Derivedformsstainable(ˈstainable)adjective stainability(ˌstainaˈbility)noun stainer(ˈstainer)noun WordoriginC14steynen(vb),shortenedfromdisteynentoremovecolourfrom,fromOldFrenchdesteindretodiscolour,fromdes-dis-1+teindre,fromLatintingeretotinge WordFrequency staininAmericanEnglish (steɪn ) verbtransitive1.  tospoiltheappearanceofbypatchesorstreaksofcolorordirt;discolor;spot 2.  tobringshameupon(someone'scharacter,reputation,etc.);taint;disgrace;dishonor 3.  tochangetheappearanceof(wood,glass,etc.)byapplyingadye,pigment,etc. 4.  totreat(materialformicroscopicstudy)withacoloringmatterthatfacilitatesstudy,asbymakingtransparentpartsvisibleorbyproducingadifferenteffectupondifferentstructuresortissues verbintransitive5.  toimpartortakeacolororstain noun6.  adiscoloration,streak,orspotresultingfromstaining 7.  amoralblemish;dishonor;guilt;taint astainonone'sreputation 8.  asubstanceusedtoimpartcolorinstaining;specif.,a.  adyeorpigmentinsolution,esp.onethatpenetratesawoodsurface b.  adyeusedtostainmaterialformicroscopicstudy Webster’sNewWorldCollegeDictionary,4thEdition.Copyright©2010by HoughtonMifflinHarcourt.Allrightsreserved. Derivedformsstainable(ˈstainable) adjective stainer(ˈstainer) noun WordoriginMEstainen,aphetic