Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To dull the luster of; discolor, especially by exposure to air or dirt.
- intransitive verb To detract from or spoil.
- intransitive verb To bring disgrace to; sully.
- intransitive verb To lose luster; become discolored.
- intransitive verb To become less enjoyable or estimable.
- noun The condition of being tarnished.
- noun A film or layer of discoloration on a metal surface caused by corrosion or oxidation.
- noun The condition of being disgraced or made less estimable.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A spot; a blot; the condition of being dulled or stained.
- noun In mineralogy, the change in luster or color of the surface of a mineral, particularly one of metallic luster: usually due to slight alteration, but also in some cases to the deposition of a very thin film of some foreign substance.
- noun A coating.
- To diminish or destroy the luster of; sully; dull: used of an alteration induced by the air, or by dust or dampness; also, in mineralogy, to change the natural color or luster of the surface of: said chiefly of the metallic minerals. See
tarnish , n., 2. - To give a pale or dim cast to, as to gold or silver, without either polishing or burnishing it.
- Figuratively, to diminish or destroy the purity of; cast a stain upon; sully: as, to
tarnish reputation. - Synonyms To dull, deface.
- To lose luster; become dim or dull: as, polished substances or gilding will tarnish in the course of time.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The quality or state of being tarnished; stain; soil; blemish.
- noun (Min.) A thin film on the surface of a metal, usually due to a slight alteration of the original color.
- transitive verb To soil, or change the appearance of, especially by an alternation induced by the air, or by dust, or the like; to diminish, dull, or destroy the luster of; to sully.
- intransitive verb To lose luster; to become dull.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun
Oxidation ordiscoloration , especially of a decorativemetal exposed toair . - verb To
oxidize ordiscolor due to oxidation. - verb To
soil ,sully ,damage orcompromise
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun discoloration of metal surface caused by oxidation
- verb make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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I used to love doing it and if the tarnish is on it and the glow goes off it, you can kind of walk away for a while.
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The discol-oration on silver and copper that we call tarnish is a metal-sulfur compound; the sulfur comes mainly from air pollution.
On Food and Cooking, The Science and Lore of the Kitchen Harold McGee 2004
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The discol-oration on silver and copper that we call tarnish is a metal-sulfur compound; the sulfur comes mainly from air pollution.
On Food and Cooking, The Science and Lore of the Kitchen Harold McGee 2004
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Alan was well enough pleased to see his finery so fully remembered and set down; only when he came to the word tarnish, he looked upon his lace like one a little mortified.
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Alan was well enough pleased to see his finery so fully remembered and set down; only when he came to the word tarnish, he looked upon his lace like one a little mortified.
Kidnapped Robert Louis Stevenson 1872
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But the real damage Palin's July 3rd declaration of independence from her job has will long outlast the short term tarnish of a news cycle.
Truth v. The Machine 2009
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I contest the idea that a rough Democratic nomination fight would "tarnish" the eventual winner.
Obama In South Carolina: I'll Look Out For Working People ��� And Hillary Looks Out For Politics 2009
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Furthermore, how exactly would a Martin loss "tarnish" Obama's big win?
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Did that kind of tarnish that great image and idea that everybody had of Gerald Ford?
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The spin in such words as 'tarnish' and 'soften' is plain as a pikestaff.
The rumblings: will there be a quake? Mike L 2005
Yukka commented on the word tarnish
First step towards vanishing.
August 9, 2011