The Collaborative International Dictionary
Tarnish \Tar"nish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tarnished; p. pr. & vb. n. Tarnishing.] [F. ternir, fr. OHG. tarnen to darken, to conceal, hide; akin to OS. dernian to hide, AS. dernan, dyrnan, OHG. tarni hidden, OS. derni, AS. derne, dyrne. Cf. Dern,
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, and see -ish.] 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; as, to tarnish a metal; to tarnish gilding; to tarnish the purity of color. ``Tarnished lace.''
--Fuller. Used also figuratively; as, to tarnish one's honor.Syn: To sully; stain; dim.
Wiktionary
n. The act by which something is tarnished. vb. (present participle of tarnish English)
Usage examples of "tarnishing".
Small instabilities flickered within the translucent folds, tarnishing the emissions.
It was a deep, narrow room with tarnishing brass walls and a bunch of sputtering defective light-loops threaded through the thatchwork ceiling.
Within, a deep narrow room with tarnishing brass walls and a bunch of sputtering defective light-loops threaded through the thatchwork ceiling.
At the centre, clouds reflected the diseased irradiation of the crater, tarnishing the land with the flickers of dying atoms.
Cee-three Bai's been holding me up for special notice ever since the training began-and if he hadn't done that Viljo might not have gotten irritated enough to try tarnishing my image like he did.
Cee-three Bai's been holding me up for special notice ever since the training began—and if he hadn't done that Viljo might not have gotten irritated enough to try tarnishing my image like he did.
For the gleaming beauty was dimmed, as if some faint tarnishing had spread a film across it.
For that tarnishing cloud, which had been only a mist, had now deepened about the stem and lower part of the bowl into a black stain.
She didn't want to hear him explain—and risk tarnishing the silver with mere words.
For the legions of the faithful would destroy the followers of the false gods who were tarnishing Hyperia, and the false gods were afraid.
I raise the picture to my lips and, while she looks on, thinking me sorry—'I hate you,' I whisper, my breath tarnishing the gold.