Webster's English Dictionary

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stain

1. stain \'sta-n\ \'sta--n*-b*l\ vb [ME steynen, partly fr. MF desteindre 
   to discolor & partly of Scand] origin; akin to ON steina to paint - more at 
   DISTAIN 1: DISCOLOR, SOIL  2: to suffuse with color  3a: to taint with 
   guilt, vice, or corruption  3b: to bring reproach on  4: to color (as wood, 
   glass, or cloth) by processes affecting chemically o r otherwise the 
   material itself : to receive a stain  - stain.able aj
2. stain \'sta-n-l*s\ n 1a: a soiled or discolored spot  1b: a natural spot 
   of color contrasting with the ground  2: a taint of guilt : STIGMA  3a: a 
   preparation (as of dye or pigment) used in staining; esp : on e capable of 
   penetrating the pores of wood 3b: a dye or mixture of dyes used in 
   microscopy to make visible minute and  transparent structures, to 
   differentiate tissue elements, or to produce specific chemical reactions - 
   stain.less aj