See Also: tarnish(medicine)
tarnish(dictionary)
tarnish 1, verb(dictionary)
tarnish 2, noun(dictionary)

tarnish (iou)



tarnish verb & noun. LME.
[French terniss- lengthened stem of ternir, from terne dark, dull: see -ISH2. Cf. DERN adjective2.]
A. verb.
verb intrans. Become dull, dim, or discoloured; (esp. of metal) lose lustre by surface oxidation etc. LME.
T. H. Huxley Many metals rapidly..tarnish when exposed to even the driest air.
b. fig. Esp. of a person's honour or reputation: become impaired, tainted, or sullied. L17.
Dryden Till thy fresh glories, which now shine so bright..tarnish with our daily sight.
verb trans. Dull or dim the lustre of, discolour. L16.
New Scientist Enough hydrogen sulphide gas to discolour housepaint and tarnish silverware.
b. fig. Impair, sully, or cast a slur on (esp. a person's honour or reputation). L17.
Independent Football is our national game...Its image..has been much tarnished.
Phrases: tarnished plant-bug either of two brownish mirid bugs, Lygus lineolaris (in N. America) and L. rugulipennis (in Europe), which are pests of numerous fruits, vegetables, and other crops.
b. noun. The fact of tarnishing or condition of being tarnished; loss of lustre, discoloration. Also, a stain, a blemish; a coating or film formed on an exposed surface of a mineral or metal. E18.
Dickens Effacing the old rust and tarnish on the money.
tarnishable adjective L19.