Brewer's: Attaint

A term in chivalry, meaning to strike the helmet and shield of an antagonist so firstly with the lance, held in a direct line, as either to break the lance or overthrow the person struck. Hence to “attaint of treason,” etc.

“Attaint was a term of tilting, used to express the champion's having attained his mark, or in other words, struck his lance straight and fair against the helmet or breast of his adversary.” —SirWalterScott: The Monastery (note).

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language