A corrupt abbreviation for it is not.
"Wonder what time it is?" said Miss Mary. "Oh, taint late," says he. "Is there going to be any preaching here to-morrow?"--Maj. Jones's Courtship, p. 69.
·noun Tincture; hue; color; tinge. II. Taint ·noun Infection; corruption; deprivation. III. Taint ...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
By admiralty law, the taint of contraband extends to all property on board belonging to the owners o...
The Sailor's Word-Book