Stained Glass Is Mostly Not Stained
A stain is a discolouring mark. In stained glass the colour is usually in the glass itself, not applied to it.
A stain is a mark that discolours something, and to stain is to colour deliberately, as with wood. *Stained glass* is a misleading name: most of the colour comes from metal oxides added while the glass is molten, so the glass is coloured throughout rather than stained on the surface. True staining, with silver nitrate that turns glass yellow when fired, was a later medieval addition and gave the whole craft its name. In biology, stains make cell structures visible under a microscope.
- A discolouring mark. *A coffee stain.*
- To colour deliberately. *Stain the wood.*
- Stained glass — coloured window glass. *Stained glass.*
- A biological dye. *A Gram stain.*
- Old French — *desteindre*, to discolour. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | stain | A stain. |
| Plural | stains | Stains. |
| Verb | stain | Stain it. |
| Adjective | stained | Stained. |
| Adjective | stainless | Stainless. |
- The wine left a stain.Mark.
- He stained the table dark oak.Deliberate.
- Most stained glass is coloured throughout.Fact.
How coloured glass is made
- Cobalt gives blue, copper gives green or red
- Gold chloride gives a deep ruby red
- Manganese gives purple
- Silver stain — painted on and fired, turning the glass yellow
- Painted detail — faces and folds, applied in dark enamel
Middle English *steynen*, shortened from Old French *desteindre*, to remove colour, from Latin *tingere*, to dye.
Is stained glass really stained?
Mostly not. The colour usually comes from metal oxides mixed into the molten glass. True silver staining was a later addition that gave the craft its name.
What does stainless steel mean?
Steel alloyed with chromium, which forms a protective oxide layer that resists rust and staining.