distain

D2I1S1T1A1I1N1

verb

To stain, discolour or tarnish

OriginOld French desteindre →
RareScrabble 8
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Meanings

distain1

verbdistain (third-person singular simple present distains, present participle distaining, simple past and past participle distained)

present singular third person distains · participle present distaining · participle past distained · past distained

  1. rareTo stain, discolour or tarnish

    Thence riſe the tears that ſo diſtaine my cheeks, Fearing his loue through my vnworthyneſſe.

    c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene ii

distain2

noun
  1. misspellingMisspelling of disdain.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
disgust

Origin

  1. Old Frenchdesteindre
  2. Englishdistain

From Old French desteindre.

More words from Old French

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

distain. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/distain

MLA

“distain.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/distain. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “distain,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/distain.

Source: distain on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.