The compound adjective 'tobacco-stained' is a modern English formation that vividly describes a specific type of discoloration. Its first element, 'tobacco', entered English in the mid-16th century from Spanish, ultimately tracing back to an indigenous Caribbean language, reflecting the plant's New World origins. The second element, 'stain', derives from Old Norse, entering Middle English with the sense of coloring or leaving a mark. The suffix '-ed' is a native English participial ending used to form adjectives from verbs or nouns. The word's logic is transparently descriptive, combining the source of the discoloration with the action and resulting state to create an evocative term often used for teeth, fingers, or fabrics marked by prolonged contact with tobacco.

Structure: tobacco + stain + ed - tobacco (noun): From Spanish 'tabaco', of uncertain origin, possibly from a Taíno word for a roll of leaves or a pipe. Functions as the source noun modifying the nature of the stain. - stain (verb/root): From Old Norse 'steina' (to paint). Functions as the core concept of marking or discoloring. - ed (suffix): From Old English '-ed', '-od', '-ad', a past participle suffix forming adjectives indicating a state or condition.