attaint
/əˈteɪnt
/verb [with object]
1 historical Subject (someone) to attainder: to his lands Henry added the property of several landowners attainted in the course of his reign...
- George was attainted in 1477 and murdered in the Tower of London the following year.
- After attainting Strafford and repudiating Charles's policies during the 1630s, the Long Parliament had turned its attention to the Church and proposed the abolition of bishops and their replacement by a system of lay commissioners.
- Attainders could also do serious damage if they left a power vacuum in a particular region, as occurred in East Anglia when the third duke of Norfolk was attainted by Henry VIII in 1547.
2 archaic Affect or infect with disease or corruption: even to have kicked an outsider might have been held to attaint the foot
Origin
Middle English (in the sense 'touch, reach, attain'): from obsolete attaint (adjective), from Old French ataint, ateint, past participle of ateindre 'bring to justice' (see attain); influenced in meaning by taint.