tarnish
/ˈtɑɹnɪʃ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.85 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To use a sign, image, expression, etc. sufficiently close to a trademarked one that it brings disrepute to it.
Example Sentences
- "1918, Hannah Teresa Rowley, Mrs. Helen Louise (Wales) Farrell, Principles of Chemistry Applied to the Household Precipitated calcium carbonate, a very fine powdery form, is used as a basis for many tooth powders and pastes. As whiting it finds a wide use in cleaning metals of their tarnishes."
- "Limiting the use of silver to special occasions might invite tarnish unless the pieces are carefully protected."
- "Careful storage of silver will prevent it from tarnishing."
- "He is afraid that she will tarnish his reputation if he disagrees with her."
- "I have next shown you the Greeks, and " the wisdom" of their philosophy, often travesting, sometimes tarnishing the Christian religion : […]"
- "The greed that many players show tarnishes the game."
Etymology
From Middle English ternysshen, from Old French terniss-, stem of ternir (“to make dim, make wan”), borrowed from Old High German *ternen, tarnen, from Proto-West Germanic *darnijan (“to conceal”). Doublet of dern and darn.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: ternysshen, ternir, *ternen, *darnijan
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈtɑɹnɪʃ/
- British English: /ˈtɑːnɪʃ/