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Webster 1913 Edition
Distain
Dis-tain′
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Distained
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Distaining
.] [OE.
desteinen
, OF. desteindre
to take away the color, F. déteindre
; 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. Shakespeare
Webster 1828 Edition
Distain
DISTAIN
,Verb.
T.
1.
To stain; to tinge with any different color from the natural or proper one; to discolor. We speak of a sword distained with blood; a garment distained with gore. It has precisely the signification of stain, but is used chiefly or appropriately in poetry and the higher kinds of prose.2.
To blot; to sully; to defile; to tarnish.She distained her honorable blood.
The worthiness of praise distains his worth.