tainture

English

Etymology

Perhaps taint +‎ -ure; perhaps from Middle French tainture (“dye; dyeing; tincture”). Doublet of tincture.

Noun

tainture (plural taintures)

1. (obsolete) Dirtiness; uncleanliness; contamination, tainting.
   • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:

     Gloucester, see here the tainture of thy nest,
     And look thyself be faultless, thou wert best.

   • 1637, Joseph Hall, The Remedy of Prophanenesse, or, Of the True Sight and Feare of the Almighty‎^[1], London: Nathanael Butter, Book 1, Section 11, p. 83:

     But, woe is me, other creatures are fraile too, none but man is sinfull; our soule is not more excellent, than this tainture of it, is odious, and deadly […]

   • (Can we date this quote?), Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “Humorous Lieutenant”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act III, scene vi, page 37:

     Dem[etrius]. Now Princes, your demands?
     Sel[eucus]. Peace, if it may be
     Without the too much tainture of our honour:

Anagrams

• nutriate, turanite, unattire