Grime-Stained
/ˈɡraɪmˌsteɪnd/noun
Marked or covered with ingrained dirt or soot.
Did you know?The second half, “stain,” entered English through Old Norse steina, meaning “to paint” or “color,” before developing its modern sense of leaving a discolored mark.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*grīmō
“A smudge, mask, or darkened surface; the precise origin of modern grime is uncertain.”
Middle English
English
grime
“Dirt, soot, or filth adhering to a surface.”
Old Norse
Old Norse
steina
“To paint, color, or mark with pigment.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*stainijaną
“To color or stain; related to the Germanic stone-word family.”
14th Century
English
stainen
“To discolor, soil, or mark.”
Modern English
English
grime-stained
“Covered or marked with ingrained dirt.”