Meaning

A contamination, decay or putrefaction, especially in food..

Definitions by Sense

1. A contamination, decay or putrefaction, especially in food.
2. A tinge, trace or touch.
3. A mark of disgrace, especially on one's character; blemish.
4. (obsolete) Tincture; hue; colour.
5. (obsolete) Infection; corruption; deprivation.
6. (programming) A marker indicating that a variable is unsafe and should be subjected to additional security checks.
7. (transitive) To contaminate or corrupt (something) with an external agent, either physically or morally.
8. (transitive) To spoil (food) by contamination.

Example Sentences

There is a taint of death, a flavour of mortality in lies, - which is exactly what I hate and detest in the world - what I want to forget.

A prison taint was on everything there. The imprisoned air, the imprisoned light, the imprisoned damps, the imprisoned men, were all deteriorated by confinement.

He had inherited from his ancestors a scrofulous taint, which it was beyond the power of medicine to remove.

Using Apache version 1.3.29 and Perl version 5.8.2, we tracked the following sequence of taints […]

His unkindness may defeat my life, / But never taint my love.

I cannot taint with fear.

Meat soon taints in warm weather.

This taint he follow'd with his sword, drawn from a silver sheath, Which lifting high, he struck his helm full where his plume did stand, On which it piecemeal brake, and fell from his unhappy hand.

Word Forms

• taints
• tainting
• tainted

Synonyms for taint

Antonyms for taint

Related Words

When Should You Use Taint?

Use taint when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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