Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
tarnish. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
tarnish, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
tarnish in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
tarnish you have here. The definition of the word
tarnish will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
tarnish, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Middle English ternysshen, a borrowing from Old French terniss-, stem of ternir (“to make dim, make wan”), borrowed from Frankish *darnijan (“to conceal”). Doublet of dern and darn.
Pronunciation
Noun
tarnish (usually uncountable, plural tarnishes)
- Oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air.
- 1918, Hannah Teresa Rowley, Mrs. Helen Louise (Wales) Farrell, Principles of Chemistry Applied to the Household
- Precipitated calcium carbonate, a very fine powdery form, is used as a basis for many tooth powders and pastes. As whiting it finds a wide use in cleaning metals of their tarnishes.
Translations
Verb
tarnish (third-person singular simple present tarnishes, present participle tarnishing, simple past and past participle tarnished)
- (intransitive) To oxidize or discolor due to oxidation.
Careful storage of silver will prevent it from tarnishing.
- (transitive) To compromise, damage, soil, or sully.
He is afraid that she will tarnish his reputation if he disagrees with her.
2022 March 11, David Hytner, “Chelsea are in crisis but there is no will to leave club on their knees”, in The Guardian:There are normally anti-embarrassment clauses in such arrangements and, from a corporate social responsibility point of view, the upside of standing by a tarnished individual is often outweighed by the downside.
- (intransitive, figurative) To lose its lustre or attraction; to become dull.
- (copyright law) To use a sign, image, expression, etc. sufficiently close to a trademarked one that it brings disrepute to it.
Translations
to oxidize or discolor due to oxidation
to compromise, damage, soil, or sully
- Azerbaijani: batırmaq (az)
- Finnish: liata (fi), tahria (fi)
- German: trüben (de), beeinträchtigen (de), beflecken (de), besudeln (de), beschmutzen (de)
- Greek: αμαυρώνω (el) (amavróno)
- Italian: infamare (it), disonorare (it)
- Polish: brukać impf, zbrukać pf
- Portuguese: manchar (pt), ofuscar (pt)
- Russian: пятна́ть (ru) (pjatnátʹ), поро́чить (ru) (poróčitʹ)
- Slovak: pošpiniť, špiniť, poškodiť, poškodzovať
- Spanish: deslustrar (es), empañar (es), tiznar (es), desdorar (es)
- Swedish: fläcka (sv), skamfila (sv), besudla (sv), skada (sv)
|
Anagrams