stain

Definitions

General English

  • noun a mark which is difficult to remove, e.g. ink or blood
  • verb to make a mark of a different colour on something

General Science

  • noun a substance used to increase contrast in the colour of something such as a piece of tissue or a bacterial sample before examining it under a microscope
  • verb to make a coloured mark on a surface
  • verb to treat something such as a piece of tissue or a bacterial sample with a dye so as to increase contrast in the colour before examining it under a microscope

Construction

  • Color in a dissolving vehicle. When spread on wood or similar material, the stain penetrates and gives color to the material.
  • A discoloration in the surface of a material, such as wood or plastic.

Medical

  • noun a substance used to give colour to tissues which are going to be examined under the microscope

Publishing

  • verb to give the edges of pages a permanent colour

Slang

  • adjective bad, unpleasant, disappointing. The adjectival usage dates from around 2000.
  • noun an unfashionable, tedious individual or a swot. This term of contempt was in use among university students in the late 1980s. It is usually a synonym of anorak; unbeknown to most users it is short for wank stain, i.e. a despicable nonentity.
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