All 3 Uses of
taint
in
Measure for Measure
- Yes, that thou hast, whether thou art tainted or free.†
Scene 1.2 *tainted = spoiled or contaminated
- We shall advise this wronged maid to stead up your appointment, go in your place; if the encounter acknowledge itself hereafter, it may compel him to her recompense: and here, by this, is your brother saved, your honour untainted, the poor Mariana advantaged, and the corrupt deputy scaled.†
Scene 3.1untainted = not spoiled or contaminatedstandard prefix: The prefix "un-" in untainted means not and reverses the meaning of tainted. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.
- His actions show much like to madness; pray heaven his wisdom be not tainted!†
Scene 4.4tainted = spoiled or contaminated
Definitions:
-
(1)
(taint) to spoil something so it is not desirable -- as when bacteria contaminates a food; or as when a rumor makes people distrust a person
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) Much more rarely, taint is used in a non-negative way to refer to a trace of something.