To decompose, cause to rot or decay; to infect or taint with corruption.

transitive. To spoil or destroy (flesh, fruit, or other organic matter) by physical dissolution or putrid decomposition; to turn from a sound into…

transitive. To make putrid; to cause to decompose with a foul smell. Obsolete.

transitive. To weaken; to deprive of freshness or vigour; to corrupt, taint. Obsolete.

transitive. To cause to decompose or decay. Also reflexive (now rare).

transitive. To make rotten (literal and figurative); to affect with rot; to spoil.

(In full sense of taint, n.1): To touch or impregnate with something corrupting; to infect with corruption, poison, etc.

transitive. To turn into carrion, to corrupt.

transitive. To make putrid, to putrefy.

transitive. To make rank (rank, adj. 13a); to fertilize (literal and figurative).

To destroy by decomposition; to rot.

transitive. To cause to decay or rot.