A moral stain, blot, or blemish; a moral flaw. Also as a mass noun (see also without spot at phrases 1e).

In various figurative uses. Obsolete.

figurative. A moral stain; a disgrace, fault, blemish. Also in extended use: a person who is a disgrace (Webster, 1909).

A blemish, an imperfection. Also in extended use.

Injury caused to a person's reputation or standing; discredit, dishonour; an instance of this. Also: a stain or taint of something discreditable. Obs…

figurative. A moral defect or stain; a flaw, fault, blot, slur.

figurative. A stain which bedims moral or ideal purity, a blemish; an aspersion on character.

figurative. Imputation or touch of dishonour, stain upon honour, lustre, purity, or freshness.

figurative. (Often in phrases like to wash a stain, purge a stain.) A morally defiling effect on the character or conscience; a grave blemish on a…

figurative. Stain of dishonour. Obsolete.

An imputation of fault or disgrace; a stain; a stigma. Scottish. Obsolete or rare.

An act of sullying, soiling, or polluting (literal and figurative); a stain, blemish.

A stain, a blemish; a sullying spot; a touch, trace, shade, tinge, or tincture of some bad or undesirable quality; a touch of discredit, dishonour…

figurative. A moral stain.

A mark, stain, or blot; a discredit (incurred by or cast upon a person, etc.). Const. to or upon.

figurative and in figurative contexts: a stain, a taint. Cf. woad, v. 2b. rare.

figurative; esp. in phrases like a blot on an escutcheon = a stain on a person's reputation.

figurative. = blot, n.1 2.

A slanderous or defamatory remark; an attempt to defame by slander. colloquial (originally U.S.).