Tain
/teɪn/noun
The metallic coating applied to the back of a mirror to make it reflective.
Did you know?Traditional mirror tain was often made from a dangerous tin–mercury amalgam, meaning many historic mirrors were backed by a toxic alchemical process.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
stannum
“Tin or a tin-containing metal; the source of later words for tin.”
Late Latin
Latin
stannum
“Tin used as a metallic material or coating.”
Old French
Old French
estain
“Tin; a form that developed from Latin stannum.”
Middle French
French
tain
“The metallic backing or coating of a mirror.”
17th Century
English
tain
“The reflective metallic coating on the back of glass.”
Modern English
English
tain
“A mirror’s metallic backing, especially in technical or historical contexts.”