English▸ noun a trace of a bad or undesirable quality or substance:
the taint of corruption that adhered to the regime.
▪ a thing whose influence or effect is perceived as contaminating or undesirable:
the taint that threatens to stain most of the company's other partners.
▪ an unpleasant smell:
the lingering taint of creosote.
▸ verb [with object] contaminate or pollute (something):
the air was tainted by fumes from the cars.
▪ affect with a bad or undesirable quality:
his administration was tainted by scandal.
▪ [no object] archaic (of food or water) become contaminated or polluted:
the rennet should be soaked in water containing sufficient salt to keep it from tainting.
– ORIGIN Middle English (as a verb in the sense ‘convict, prove guilty’): partly from Old French teint ‘tinged’, based on Latin tingere ‘to dye, tinge’; partly a shortening of attaint.