Attaint

Definition of Attaint

At`taint´

v. t.	1.	To attain; to get act; to hit. [imp. & p. p. Attainted; p. pr. & vb. n. Attainting.]
	2.	(Old Law) To find guilty; to convict; - said esp. of a jury on trial for giving a false verdict. Upon sufficient proof attainted of some open act by men of his own condition. - Blackstone.
	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. - Stat. 7 & 8 Wm. III.
	4.	To accuse; to charge with a crime or a dishonorable act.
	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. - Shak.
	6.	To stain; to obscure; to sully; to disgrace; to cloud with infamy. For so exceeding shone his glistring ray, That Ph bus' golden face it did attaint. - Spenser. Lest she with blame her honor should attaint. - Spenser.
p. p.	1.	Attainted; corrupted.
n.	1.	A touch or hit.
	2.	(Far.) A blow or wound on the leg of a horse, made by overreaching.
	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.
	4.	A stain or taint; disgrace. See Taint.
	5.	An infecting influence.

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