Contaminate

Contaminate
Contaminate Con*tam"i*nate (k[o^]n*t[a^]m"[i^]*n[=a]t), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Contaminated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Contaminating}.] [L. contaminatus, p. p. of contaminare to bring into contact, to contaminate, fr. contamen contagion, for contagmen; con- + root of tangere to touch. See {Contact}.] To soil, stain, or corrupt by contact; to tarnish; to sully; to taint; to pollute; to defile. [1913 Webster]

Shall we now Contaminate our figures with base bribes? --Shak. [1913 Webster]

I would neither have simplicity imposed upon, nor virtue contaminated. --Goldsmith.

Syn: To pollute; defile; sully; taint; tarnish; soil; stain; corrupt. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • contaminate — con‧tam‧i‧nate [kənˈtæmneɪt] verb [transitive] 1. to make something dirty and dangerous, for example with chemicals or poison: • A large number of eggs were contaminated with salmonella. 2. INSURANCE to spoil goods carried by a ship, especially… …   Financial and business terms

  • contaminate — contaminate, taint, attaint, pollute, defile mean to debase by making impure or unclean. Contaminate implies the presence or the influence of something external which by entering into or by coming in contact with a thing destroys or may destroy… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Contaminate — Con*tam i*nate ( n[asl]t), a. Contaminated; defiled; polluted; tainted. Contaminate drink. Daniel. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • contaminate — [kən tam′ə nāt΄] vt. contaminated, contaminating [ME contaminaten < L contaminatus, pp. of contaminare, to defile < contamen, contact, contagion < com , together + base of tangere, to touch: see TACT] to make impure, infected, corrupt,… …   English World dictionary

  • contaminate — I noun abomination, adulteration, befoulment, contagion, defilement, infection, poisoning, pollution, taint, vitiation II verb adulterate, befoul, corrupt, debase, defile, degenerate, degrade, denaturalize, desecrate, disease, impair, infect, mar …   Law dictionary

  • contaminate — (v.) early 15c., from O.Fr. contaminer, from L. contaminatus, pp. of contaminare to defile, from contamen contact, pollution, from com together (see COM (Cf. com )) + *tag , base of tangere to touch (see TANGENT (Cf …   Etymology dictionary

  • contaminate — [v] adulterate alloy, befoul, corrupt, debase, debauch, defile, deprave, desecrate, dirty, harm, infect, injure, muck up, pervert, poison, pollute, profane, radioactivate, soil, spoil, stain, sully, taint, tarnish, vitiate; concepts 252,254 Ant.… …   New thesaurus

  • contaminate — ► VERB ▪ make impure by exposure to or addition of a poisonous or polluting substance. DERIVATIVES contaminant noun contamination noun contaminator noun. ORIGIN Latin contaminare make impure , from contamen contact, pollution …   English terms dictionary

  • contaminate — v. (D; tr.) to contaminate by, with (to contaminate smb. with smt; a wound contaminated by bacteria) * * * [kən tæmɪneɪt] with (to contaminate smt with smt; a wound contaminated by bacteria) contemplate y. (G) he contaminated resigning (D; tr.)… …   Combinatory dictionary

  • contaminate — transitive verb ( nated; nating) Etymology: Middle English, from Latin contaminatus, past participle of contaminare; akin to Latin contingere to have contact with more at contingent Date: 15th century 1. a. to soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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