attaint
/əˈteɪnt/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English
7
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To subject to attainder; to condemn (someone) to death and extinction of all civil rights.
Archaic
noun
The giving of a false verdict by a jury; the conviction of such a jury, and the reversal of the verdict.
Obsolete
Example Sentences
- "My tender youth was never yet attaint With any passion of inflaming love,"
- "Tom Truth is attainted. All he has — not much — is forfeit to the king, and he is entitled to nothing but a traitorʼs death."
- "CHARLES STUART. Attainted and proscribed by name and grade in his British regiment."
- "Amoret right fearefull was and faint, / Lest she with blame her honor should attaint […]."
- "Jem felt that his own character had been attainted; and that to many it might still appear suspicious."
- "This politic selection did not alter the fortune of the field, the challengers were still successful: one of their antagonists was overthrown, and both the others failed in the “attaint”, that is, in striking the helmet and shield of their antagonist firmly and strongly, with the lance held in a direct line, so that the weapon might break unless the champion was overthrown."
Etymology
From Middle English atteinte, from Old French ateint, past participle of ateindre; in some senses influenced by taint.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Usage
Inflected Forms
more attaint (comparative)
most attaint (superlative)
atteint (alternative)
attaints (present, singular)
attainting (participle, present)
attainted (participle, past)
attainted (past)
attaints (plural)