to remove the stain
1
2.9
- phrasal verb
:
quitar la mancha
- There's not enough polish to remove the stain from Penn State, not today, not tomorrow, not a thousand tomorrows from now.
Examples
-
They hired a professional cleaner to remove the stain from the fabric upholstery.
-
I've been unable to remove the stains from your bathtub.
-
Have they removed the stain?
-
Some salt and some Perrier to remove the stain?
-
The men were hurrying with water and brushes to remove the stains.
Fiction book (1996) -
So it kind of gives you that fairy softness but actually removes the stains as well.
-
How else to explain their stunning reluctance to hold torturers accountable and thus remove the stain of torture from our nation's soul and reputation?
Blog text (20) -
They then gathered in the synagogue to discuss how to remove the stain of disgrace left by Doctor Yakoubian.
Fiction book (1994) -
You can use a sponge to remove the stain from the carpet after the spill.
-
To remove the stain, apply a mixture of water and soap to the affected area.
Synonyms
28
2.0
To remove something from a surface by moving a cloth over it, like tears or dirt
9
2.0
Clean something using water to remove dirt or stains
1
2.5
To remove dirt or stains by rubbing hard with a brush
1
7.6
To remove a stain or impurity so something becomes clean
1
4.3
Erase a mark by using an eraser or cloth until it disappears
1
1.0
To remove dirt or mud from a surface
To remove a stain or blame from someone's name
Remove marks or stains from a surface so it looks clean
Antonyms
How Clean
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to get rid of a mark or blemish' is directly and literally composed from 'remove' (to get rid of) + 'stain' (a mark), so the overall sense follows straightforward compositional semantics. This is a common, cross-linguistic action verb + object pattern that a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand.
Etymology
Remove the stain comes from cleaning: imagine spilling red wine on a white shirt and rubbing hard to take the dark mark away. The picture of remove and stain, taking the mark away, explains why the phrase also means 'to get rid of a mark' on a surface or a person's reputation.