STAIN
What does "STAIN" mean?
A discoloring mark or spot that is not easily removed.
Meanings
- A mark or spot of discoloration on a surface. A red wine stain spread across the white tablecloth.
- To discolor or mark with something hard to remove. The beetroot stained her fingers pink.
- A dye or pigment used to color wood, fabric, or microscope specimens. He brushed a walnut stain over the new shelves.
- A blemish on one's character or reputation. The scandal left a stain on his otherwise spotless record. figurative
Did you know?
- Modern biology depends on stains: in the 1880s Hans Christian Gram's purple-and-pink staining method let scientists split bacteria into two great groups, and the 'Gram-positive' and 'Gram-negative' labels still guide antibiotic choices today.
Word origin
From Middle English 'steynen', a shortening of Old French 'desteindre' (to remove the color), itself partly merged with Old Norse 'steina' (to paint or stain).
Remember it
A STAIN won't leave - it STAys IN the cloth long after the spill.
A little poem
Wine on the white sleeve-
scrub as you like; the evening
wanted to be kept.
haiku
Wordplay
- The carpenter who ruined his reputation said at least he knew a good stain when he saw one - on the table and on his name.
What it teaches
Some marks scrub out and some sink in; guard most carefully the surfaces you cannot replace.
Quick facts
What does STAIN mean?
A discoloring mark or spot that is not easily removed.
Is STAIN a valid word?
Yes — STAIN is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is STAIN?
STAIN has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does STAIN come from?
From Middle English 'steynen', a shortening of Old French 'desteindre' (to remove the color), itself partly merged with Old Norse 'steina' (to paint or stain).
What can STAIN teach us?
Some marks scrub out and some sink in; guard most carefully the surfaces you cannot replace.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.