Attaint
Attaint ({not transcribed}) , transitive verb
[Old English atteynten to convict, from atteynt, Old French ateint, past participle of ateindre, ataindre. The meanings 3, 4, 5, and 6 were influenced by a supposed connection with taint. See Attain, Attainder.]
1.
To attain; to get act; to hit. [Obsolete]
2.
(Old Law) To find guilty; to convict; -- said esp. of a jury on trial for giving a false verdict. [Obsolete]
Upon sufficient proof attainted of some open act by men of his own condition.
3.
(Law) To subject (a person) to the legal condition formerly resulting from a sentence of death or outlawry, pronounced in respect of treason or felony; to affect by attainder.
No person shall be attainted of high treason where corruption of blood is incurred, but by the oath of two witnesses.
4.
To accuse; to charge with a crime or a dishonorable act. [Archaic]
5.
To affect or infect, as with physical or mental disease or with moral contagion; to taint or corrupt.
My tender youth was never yet attaint
With any passion of inflaming love.
6.
To stain; to obscure; to sully; to disgrace; to cloud with infamy.
For so exceeding shone his glistring ray,
That Phobus' golden face it did attaint.
Lest she with blame her honor should attaint.
Attaint , past participle
Attainted; corrupted. [Obsolete] — Shakespeare
Attaint , noun
[Old French attainte. See Attaint, v.]
1.
A touch or hit. — Sir W. Scott
2.
(Farriery) A blow or wound on the leg of a horse, made by overreaching. — White
3.
(Law) A writ which lies after judgment, to inquire whether a jury has given a false verdict in any court of record; also, the convicting of the jury so tried. — Bouvier
4.
A stain or taint; disgrace. See Taint. — Shakespeare
5.
An infecting influence. [Rare] — Shakespeare