attaint

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: at=taint

CIDE DICTIONARY

attaint, v. t. [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.].

•  To attain; to get act; to hit.  [1913 Webster]
•  To find guilty; to convict; -- said esp. of a jury on trial for giving a false verdict.  [1913 Webster]

  "Upon sufficient proof attainted of some open act by men of his own condition."  [1913 Webster]
•  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."  [1913 Webster]
•  To accuse; to charge with a crime or a dishonorable act.  [1913 Webster]
•  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."  [1913 Webster]
•  To stain; to obscure; to sully; to disgrace; to cloud with infamy.  [1913 Webster]

  "For so exceeding shone his glistring ray,
  That Phattaint."  [1913 Webster]

  "Lest she with blame her honor should attaint."  [1913 Webster]

attaint, p. p. 

 Attainted; corrupted.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

attaint, n. [OF. attainte. See Attaint, v.].

•  A touch or hit.  Sir W. Scott.  [1913 Webster]
•  A blow or wound on the leg of a horse, made by overreaching.  White.  [1913 Webster]
•  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]
•  A stain or taint; disgrace. See Taint.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  An infecting influence.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

attaint, v.tr.
1 hist. subject to attainder.
2 a (of disease etc.) strike, affect. b taint.

Etymology

ME f. obs. attaint (adj.) f. OF ataint, ateint past part. formed as ATTAIN: confused in meaning with TAINT

ROGET THESAURUS

attaint

Condemnation

VB condemn, convict, cast, bring home to, find guilty, damn, doom, sign the death warrant, sentence, pass sentence on, attaint, confiscate, proscribe, sequestrate, nonsuit, disapprove, accuse, stand condemned.