To color (glass, for example) with a coat of penetrating liquid dye or tint.
To treat (specimens for the microscope) with a reagent or dye that makes visible certain structures without affecting others.
v.
intr.
To produce or receive discolorations.
n.
A discolored or soiled spot or smudge.
A blemish on one's moral character or reputation.
A liquid substance applied especially to wood that penetrates the surface and imparts a rich color.
A reagent or dye used for staining microscopic specimens.
[Middle English steinen, partly from Old French desteindre, desteign-, to deprive of color (des-, dis- + teindre, to dye from Latin tingere), and partly from Old Norse steina, to paint.]
stain'a·ble adj., stain'er n.
Synonyms: These nouns denote a mark of discredit or disgrace, as on one's good name: a stain on his honor; the blot of treason; the brand of cowardice; the stigma of ignominious defeat; the taint of vice.
1382, probably representing a merger of O.N. steina "to paint" and an aphetic form of M.E. disteynen "to discolor or stain," from O.Fr. desteign-, stem of desteindre "to remove the color," from des- (from L. dis- "remove") + O.Fr. teindre "to dye," from L. tingere (see tincture). The noun is from 1563. Stained glass is attested from 1791.
a soiled or discolored appearance; "the wine left a dark stain"
2.
(microscopy) a dye or other coloring material that is used in microscopy to make structures visible
3.
the state of being covered with unclean things [syn: dirt]
4.
a symbol of disgrace or infamy; "And the Lord set a mark upon Cain"--Genesis [syn: mark]
5.
an act that brings discredit to the person who does it; "he made a huge blot on his copybook" [syn: blot]
verb
1.
color with a liquid dye or tint; "Stain this table a beautiful walnut color"; "people knew how to stain glass a beautiful blue in the middle ages"
2.
produce or leave stains; "Red wine stains the table cloth"
3.
make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically; "The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air"; "Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man" [syn: tarnish]
4.
color for microscopic study; "The laboratory worker dyed the specimen"
to leave a (permanent) dirty mark or coloured patch on eg a fabric Example: The coffee I spilt has stained my trousers.
Arabic:
يُلَطِّخ
Chinese (Simplified):
沾污（衣服）
Chinese (Traditional):
沾汙(衣服)
Czech:
potřísnit
Danish:
misfarve
Dutch:
vlekken
Estonian:
plekki jätma
Finnish:
tahria
French:
tacher
German:
beschmutzen
Greek:
λεκιάζω
Hungarian:
bepiszkít
Icelandic:
bletta
Indonesian:
mengotori
Italian:
macchiare
Japanese:
しみをつける
Korean:
…에 얼룩이 지게 하다, …을 더럽히다
Latvian:
notraipīt
Lithuanian:
(iš)tepti
Norwegian:
sette varige flekker
Polish:
plamić
Portuguese (Brazil):
manchar
Portuguese (Portugal):
manchar
Romanian:
a păta
Russian:
пачкать
Slovak:
zašpiniť, pofŕkať
Slovenian:
zamazati
Swedish:
fläcka, missfärga
Turkish:
lekelemek
stain2[stein]verb
to become marked in this way Example: Silk stains easily.
Arabic:
يُبَقِّع
Chinese (Simplified):
染色
Chinese (Traditional):
染色
Czech:
špinit se
Danish:
misfarve
Dutch:
vlekken
Estonian:
määrduma
Finnish:
tahriintua
French:
se tacher
German:
verschmutzen
Greek:
λεκιάζομαι
Hungarian:
piszkolódik
Icelandic:
blettast
Indonesian:
kena kotoran
Italian:
macchiarsi
Japanese:
しみがつく
Korean:
얼룩지다
Latvian:
notraipīties
Lithuanian:
teptis
Norwegian:
flekke, få flekker
Polish:
plamić się
Portuguese (Brazil):
manchar-se
Portuguese (Portugal):
manchar
Romanian:
a se păta
Russian:
пачкаться
Slovak:
znečistiť sa, zašpiniť sa
Slovenian:
zamazati se
Swedish:
bli fläckig, missfärgas
Turkish:
lekelenmek
stain3[stein]verb
to dye or colour (eg wood) Example: The wooden chairs had been stained brown.
Arabic:
يَدْهَن، يَصْبُغ
Chinese (Simplified):
着色
Chinese (Traditional):
著色
Czech:
obarvit
Danish:
farve
Dutch:
kleuren
Estonian:
värvima
Finnish:
värjätä
French:
teindre
German:
färben
Greek:
βάφω
Hungarian:
(meg)fest
Icelandic:
lita
Indonesian:
mewarnai
Italian:
tingere, colorare
Japanese:
着色する
Korean:
…에 착색하다
Latvian:
krāsot
Lithuanian:
dažyti
Norwegian:
beise, ha på lasur
Polish:
farbować, bejcować
Portuguese (Brazil):
tingir, pintar
Portuguese (Portugal):
tingir
Romanian:
a colora
Russian:
морить; протравливать
Slovak:
zafarbiť
Slovenian:
pobarvati
Swedish:
färga
Turkish:
boyamak
stain[stein]noun
a dirty mark on a fabric etc that is difficult or impossible to remove Example: His overall was covered with paint-stains; There is not the slightest stain upon her reputation.
Dis*tain"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Distained; p. pr. & vb. n. Distaining.] [OE. desteinen, OF. desteindre to take away the color, F. d['e]teindre; pref. des- (L. dis-) + F. teindre to tinge, dye, L. tingere. See Tinge, and cf. Stain.] To tinge with a different color from the natural or proper one; to stain; to discolor; to sully; to tarnish; to defile; -- used chiefly in poetry. "Distained with dirt and blood." --Spenser. [She] hath . . . distained her honorable blood. --Spenser. The worthiness of praise distains his worth. --Shak.
Dye\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dyed; p. pr. & vb. n. Dyeing.] [OE. deyan, dyen, AS. de['a]gian.] To stain; to color; to give a new and permanent color to, as by the application of dyestuffs. Cloth to be dyed of divers colors. --Trench. The soul is dyed by its thoughts. --Lubbock. To dye in the grain, To dye in the wool (Fig.), to dye firmly; to imbue thoroughly. He might truly be termed a legitimate son of the revenue system dyed in the wool. --Hawthorne. Syn: See Stain.
Stain\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Stained; p. pr. & vb. n. Staining.] [Abbrev. fr. distain.]1. To discolor by the application of foreign matter; to make foul; to spot; as, to stain the hand with dye; armor stained with blood. 2. To color, as wood, glass, paper, cloth, or the like, by processess affecting, chemically or otherwise, the material itself; to tinge with a color or colors combining with, or penetrating, the substance; to dye; as, to stain wood with acids, colored washes, paint rubbed in, etc.; to stain glass. 3. To spot with guilt or infamy; to bring reproach on; to blot; to soil; to tarnish. Of honor void, Of innocence, of faith, of purity, Our wonted ornaments now soiled and stained. --Milton. 4. To cause to seem inferior or soiled by comparison. She stains the ripest virgins of her age. --Beau. & Fl. That did all other beasts in beauty stain. --Spenser. Stained glass, glass colored or stained by certain metallic pigments fused into its substance, -- often used for making ornament windows. Syn: To paint; dye; blot; soil; sully; discolor; disgrace; taint. Usage: Paint, Stain, Dye. These denote three different processes; the first mechanical, the other two, chiefly chemical. To paint a thing is so spread a coat of coloring matter over it; to stain or dye a thing is to impart color to its substance. To stain is said chiefly of solids, as wood, glass, paper; to dye, of fibrous substances, textile fabrics, etc.; the one, commonly, a simple process, as applying a wash; the other more complex, as fixing colors by mordants.
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