Taint, subst. 1) stain, spot, blemish: “any t. of vice whose strong corruption inhabits our frail blood,” Tw. III, 4, 390. “the --s and blames I laid upon myself,” Mcb. IV, 3, 124. “they may seem the --s of liberty,” Hml. II, 1, 32. “his --s and honours waged equal with him,” Ant. V, 1, 30.
2) corruption, infection: “commotions, uproars, with a general t. of the whole state,” H8 V, 3, 28.
3) disparagement, disgrace, discredit: we did our “main opinion crush in t. of our best man,” Troil. I, 3, 374. “your fore-vouched affection fallen into t.” Lr. I, 1, 224.
Shakespeare Lexicon. Alexander Schmidt. Berlin. Georg Reimer. 1902.
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