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1. (histology) the use of a dye to colour specimens for microscopic study
    
2. The act of spotting or staining something
   - spotting, maculation

1. Colour with a liquid dye or tint
   "Stain this table a beautiful walnut colour"; "people knew how to stain glass a beautiful blue in the middle ages"
    
2. Produce or leave stains
   "Red wine stains the table cloth"
    
3. Make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air
   "The silver was stained by the long exposure to the air";
   - tarnish, maculate [literary], sully, defile, soil
    
4. Colour for microscopic study
   - dye
    
5. (of someone's image or good reputation) damage, place under suspicion or cast doubt upon
   - defile, sully, corrupt, taint, cloud, tarnish, soil

Derived forms: stainings

Type of: alter, blob, blot, change, deflower, dirtying, dye, dyeing, fleck, impair, mar, modify, pollute, soiling, soilure [archaic], spoil, spot, vitiate

Encyclopedia: Staining, Lancashire