attaint

Verb
Synonyms: dishonordisgracedishonourshame

WordNet 3.0

Verb (2)

  1. bring shame or dishonor upon“he dishonored his family by committing a serious crime”Synonyms: dishonordisgracedishonourshame
  2. condemn by attainder“the man was attainted”
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Attaint \At*taint"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Attainted; p. pr. & vb. n. Attainting.] [OE. atteynten to convict, fr. atteynt, OF. ateint, p. p. of ateindre, ataindre. The meanings 3, 4, 5, and 6 were influenced by a supposed connection with taint. See Attain, Attainder.]

1.To attain; to get act; to hit. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

2.(Old Law) To find guilty; to convict; -- said esp. of a jury on trial for giving a false verdict. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

Upon sufficient proof attainted of some open act by men of his own condition.— Blackstone.[1913 Webster]

3.(Law) To subject (a person) to the legal condition formerly resulting from a sentence of death or outlawry, pronounced in respect of treason or felony; to affect by attainder. [1913 Webster]

No person shall be attainted of high treason where corruption of blood is incurred, but by the oath of two witnesses.— Stat. 7 & 8 Wm. III.[1913 Webster]

4.To accuse; to charge with a crime or a dishonorable act. [Archaic] [1913 Webster]

5.To affect or infect, as with physical or mental disease or with moral contagion; to taint or corrupt. [1913 Webster]

My tender youth was never yet attaint With any passion of inflaming love.— Shak.[1913 Webster]

6.To stain; to obscure; to sully; to disgrace; to cloud with infamy. [1913 Webster]

For so exceeding shone his glistring ray, That Ph?bus' golden face it did attaint.— Spenser.[1913 Webster]
Lest she with blame her honor should attaint.— Spenser.[1913 Webster]
Attaint \At*taint"\, p. p. Attainted; corrupted. [Obs.] --Shak. [1913 Webster]
Attaint \At*taint"\, n. [OF. attainte. See Attaint, v.]

1.A touch or hit. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]

2.(Far.) A blow or wound on the leg of a horse, made by overreaching. --White. [1913 Webster]

3.(Law) A writ which lies after judgment, to inquire whether a jury has given a false verdict in any court of record; also, the convicting of the jury so tried. --Bouvier. [1913 Webster]

4.A stain or taint; disgrace. See Taint. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

5.An infecting influence. [R.] --Shak. [1913 Webster]

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