different between taint vs degrade

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /te?nt/
• Rhymes: -e?nt

Etymology 1

From Middle French teint, from Old French teint (past participle of teindre (“to dye, to tinge”)), from Latin tinctum (past participle of tingere).

Noun

taint (plural taints)

1. A contamination, decay or putrefaction, especially in food
2. A mark of disgrace, especially on one's character; blemish
3. (obsolete) tincture; hue; colour
4. (obsolete) infection; corruption; deprivation

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

5. (programming) A marker indicating that a variable is unsafe and should be subjected to additional security checks.
   • 2006, Jim Chow, Stanford University. Computer Science Dept, Understanding data lifetime (page 33)

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

Translations

Verb

taint (third-person singular simple present taints, present participle tainting, simple past and past participle tainted)

1. (transitive) To contaminate or corrupt (something) with an external agent, either physically or morally.
2. (transitive) To spoil (food) by contamination.
3. (intransitive) To be infected or corrupted; to be touched by something corrupting.
4. (intransitive) To be affected with incipient putrefaction.

   Meat soon taints in warm weather.

5. (transitive, computing, programming) To mark (a variable) as unsafe, so that operations involving it are subject to additional security checks.
6. (transitive, Australia, finance) To invalidate (a share capital account) by transferring profits into it.

Translations

Related terms

• tainture

Etymology 2

From Middle English taynt, aphetic form of attaynt, atteynt, from Old French atteinte (“a blow, stroke”). Compare with attaint.

Noun

taint (plural taints)

1. A thrust with a lance, which fails of its intended effect.
2. An injury done to a lance in an encounter, without its being broken; also, a breaking of a lance in an encounter in a dishonorable or unscientific manner.

Translations

Verb

taint (third-person singular simple present taints, present participle tainting, simple past and past participle tainted)

1. (transitive) To damage, as a lance, without breaking it; also, to break, as a lance, but usually in an unknightly or unscientific manner.
   • 1624, Philip Massinger, The Parliament of Love

     Do not fear; I have / A staff to taint, and bravely.

2. (intransitive) To thrust ineffectually with a lance.

Etymology 3

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.’

Noun

taint (plural taints)

1. (US, slang) The perineum.
   • 2000 June 17, "Marc Newman" (username), "Re: Americas are overated", in talk.politics.guns, Usenet:

     Sorry you feel that way. But since your mother sucks cocks in hell if I go there I won't be rotting.....I'll be on line right behind you hoping to get another good head job from your Mom or Sister....if you can remember which is which.......(Moms the one with the beard on her taint)

   • 2005 July 14, "Noodles Jefferson" (username), "Re: My Wife's Raw Comments", in rec.sport.pro-wrestling, Usenet:

     Even her taint's raw?

   • 2010 February 22, "Duchamanos" (username), "Re: Huck Finn 2010-anyone going?", in rec.sport.disc, Usenet:

     Did you know that guy has absolutely no tan lines? He'll show his taint to prove it!

   • 2017, John Oliver, Last Week Tonight, HBO:

     Thats right, Alex Jones is trying to sell you sloppy wet rags for your tait [sic]. And-- and when you are done wiping down the area between your genitals and anus with a glorified wet nap...

     And look-- look, this tactical taint wipe has demonstrated incredible results, hasn't it, Doctor?

Translations

Etymology 4

Contraction of it ain't.

Contraction

taint

1. Alternative spelling of 'taint

References

• taint in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• taint at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• Nitta, Tanit, Titan, nitta, tinta, titan

English

Etymology

From Middle French dégrader

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d????e?d/, /di???e?d/

Rhymes: -e?d

Verb

degrade (third-person singular simple present degrades, present participle degrading, simple past and past participle degraded)

1. (transitive) To lower in value or social position.
   • 1859-1890, John G. Palfrey, History of New England to the Revolutionary War

     Prynne was sentenced by the Star Chamber Court to be degraded from the bar.

2. (intransitive, ergative) To reduce in quality or purity.

3. (transitive, geology) To reduce in altitude or magnitude, as hills and mountains; to wear down.

Derived terms

• degradation

Translations

Portuguese

Verb

degrade

1. first-person singular present subjunctive of degradar
2. third-person singular present subjunctive of degradar
3. third-person singular imperative of degradar

Spanish

Verb

degrade

1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of degradar.
2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of degradar.
3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of degradar.
4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of degradar.