taint

Meanings

Noun

Verb

Origin

  • From Middle French teint, from Old French teint (past participle of teindre), from Latin tinctum (past participle of tingere).
  • 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.’

Modern English dictionary

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