English Explanatory Dictionary

contaminate

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To make something dangerous or toxic by introducing impurities or foreign matter.
  2. To soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association.
  3. To make unfit for use by the introduction of unwholesome or undesirable elements.
  4. To infect, usually of a deadly virus.
adj
  1. Contaminated.
  2. Dirty, sinful, wicked, gross, etc.

Pronunciation

/kənˈtæmɪneɪt/ en-us-contaminate.ogg LL-Q1860 (eng)-Simplificationalizer-contaminate.wav

Word forms

contaminate contaminates contaminating contaminated more contaminate most contaminate

Etymology

First attested in the early 15ᵗʰ century, in Middle English; from Middle English contaminaten (“to defile; to infect with desease”), from contaminat(e) (“sullied, defiled; infected with desease”, also used as the past participle of contaminaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), from Latin contāminātus, the perfect passive participle of contāminō (“to touch together, blend, mingle, corrupt, defile”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), which see for further informations. More at taste, tax, and taxi.

Synonyms

poison pollute taint defile sully assoil beclart bedaub bedirty imbrue (especially with blood) bedizen befile befilth befoul begrime beray beshit besmear besmirch besully bewray blacken blot blur clat contaminate darken dirten dirty elt file foil foul gunk gunk up inquinate scunge sling mud slotter slur smear smirch smudge smut smutch soil soss sowl spot stain sullow tarnish uggle adulterate corrupt debauch demoralize detort immoralize lead astray

Related words

contaminable contamination contaminative

Derived words

biocontaminate contaminator cross-contaminate decontaminate noncontaminating recontaminate uncontaminate
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