1. Literally a staining, corruption, or rendering impure; a corruption of blood. Hence,

2. The judgment of death, or sentence of a competent tribunal upon a person convicted of treason or felony, which judgment attaints, taints or corrupts his blood, so that he can no longer inherit lands. The consequences of this judgment are, forfeiture of lands, tenements and hereditaments, loss of reputation, and disqualification to be a witness in any court of law. A statute of Parliament attainting a criminal, is called an act of attainder.

Upon the thorough demonstration of which guilt by legal attainder, the feudal covenant is broken.

3. The act of attainting.

An act was made for the attainder of several persons.

Note. by the constitution of the United States, no crime words an attainder.