The meaning of Contaminate

verb

Render (something) poorer in quality by adding another substance.

Usage examples:

The brewer is said to adulterate his beer

adjective

Not pure or genuine.

Usage examples:

Adulterate remedies

verb

To make something weaker or of worse quality by adding something else to it

Usage examples:

Saffron is very expensive, and is often adulterated with other plants.

verb

Make dirty; pollute.

Usage examples:

The dangers of letting industry befoul the environment

noun

A plant disease, typically one caused by fungi such as mildews, rusts, and smuts.

Usage examples:

The vines suffered blight and disease

verb

Have a severely detrimental effect on.

Usage examples:

The scandal blighted the careers of several leading politicians

noun

Something that spoils or destroys or causes damage

Usage examples:

[ u ] the city stopped urban blight by rebuilding neighborhoods., poverty and disease blighted thei…

adjective

Having or showing a willingness to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain.

Usage examples:

Unscrupulous logging companies assisted by corrupt officials

verb

Cause to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain.

Usage examples:

There is a continuing fear of firms corrupting politicians in the search for contracts

adjective

Dishonest and willing to use your position or power to your own advantage, esp. for money

Usage examples:

It’s been called the most politically corrupt city in the nation., your philosophy is corrupt., pol…

verb

Reduce (something) in quality or value; degrade.

Usage examples:

The love episodes debase the dignity of the drama

verb

To reduce in quality or value

Usage examples:

Television is often blamed for debasing american politics.

verb

Damage the purity or appearance of; mar or spoil.

Usage examples:

The land was defiled by a previous owner

noun

A steep-sided narrow gorge or passage (originally one requiring troops to march in single file).

Usage examples:

The twisting track wormed its way up a defile to level ground

verb

(of troops) march in single file.

Usage examples:

We emerged after defiling through the mountainsides

adjective

Offensive to the senses, especially through having a disgusting smell or taste or being dirty.

Usage examples:

A foul odour

noun

(in sport) an unfair or invalid stroke or piece of play, especially one involving interference with an opponent.

Usage examples:

The midfielder was booked for a foul on ford

adverb

Contrary to the rules; unfairly.

Usage examples:

That's the real problem: even guys who want to play fair are under pressure from cheaters to play f…

verb

Weaken or damage (something, especially a faculty or function).

Usage examples:

A noisy job could permanently impair their hearing

verb

To damage or weaken something so that it is less effective

Usage examples:

Lack of sleep impaired her ability to think clearly., [ c ] the law bans discrimination against any…

verb

Affect (a person, organism, etc.) with a disease-causing organism.

Usage examples:

Pregnant women who may have been infected with the virus

verb

To cause disease in someone by introducing organisms such as bacteria or viruses

Usage examples:

Mosquitoes can infect people with malaria., fig. fear of an attack infected the entire city., an in…

verb

To damage a computer's software or data with a harmful program that has been passed from another computer

Usage examples:

Be infected by/with sth the hackers hijacked personal computers that had been previously infected b…

verb

Impair the quality or appearance of; spoil.

Usage examples:

Violence marred a number of new year celebrations

abbreviation

March.

verb

To spoil something, making it less good or less enjoyable

Usage examples:

Water will mar the finish of polished wood.

noun

A substance that is capable of causing the illness or death of a living organism when introduced or absorbed.

Usage examples:

He killed himself with poison

verb

Administer poison to (a person or animal), either deliberately or accidentally.

Usage examples:

Someone had tried to poison me

noun

A substance that causes illness or death if swallowed, absorbed, or breathed into the body

Usage examples:

[ u ] poison gas, [ c ] some cleaning products are poisons., [ u ] he sprayed the weeds with poison…

verb

Contaminate (water, the air, etc.) with harmful or poisonous substances.

Usage examples:

The explosion polluted the town with dioxin

Contaminate; make impure

verb

To make air, water, or earth dirty or harmful to people, animals, and plants, esp. by adding harmful chemicals or waste

Usage examples:

Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are polluting the groundwater., maybe there’s some kind of chem…

verb

Convert (a substance, molecule, etc.) into a radioactive form.

Usage examples:

Thousands of tons of spray radioactivate the surfaces they fall upon to a dangerous degree, for an …

noun

The upper layer of earth in which plants grow, a black or dark brown material typically consisting of a mixture of organic remains, clay, and rock particles.

Usage examples:

Blueberries need very acid soil

verb

Make dirty.

Usage examples:

He might soil his expensive suit

noun

Waste matter, especially sewage containing excrement.

Usage examples:

Hazardous waste includes contaminated soil, paint, solvent residues, asbestos and highly acidic and…

verb

Diminish or destroy the value or quality of.

Usage examples:

I wouldn't want to spoil your fun

noun

Goods stolen or taken forcibly from a person or place.

Usage examples:

The looters carried their spoils away

verb

To destroy or damage something, or to become destroyed or damaged

Usage examples:

[ t ] the oil spill spoiled five miles of coastline., [ t ] don’t tell me how it ends, you’ll spoil…

verb

Mark or discolour with something that is not easily removed.

Usage examples:

Her clothing was stained with blood

noun

A coloured patch or dirty mark that is difficult to remove.

Usage examples:

There were mud stains on my shoes

verb

To leave a mark on something that is difficult to remove, or to become colored or spoiled by a mark

Usage examples:

[ t ] strawberry juice stained my shirt., [ i ] this carpet is practical because it doesn’t stain e…

verb

Damage the purity or integrity of.

Usage examples:

They were outraged that anyone should sully their good name

verb

To spoil something that is pure or someone's perfect reputation

Usage examples:

His reputation, he said, had been unfairly sullied by half-truths and innuendos., no speck of dirt …

noun

A trace of a bad or undesirable substance or quality.

Usage examples:

The lingering taint of creosote

verb

Contaminate or pollute (something).

Usage examples:

The air was tainted by fumes from the cars

noun

The perineum.

verb

Lose or cause to lose lustre, especially as a result of exposure to air or moisture.

Usage examples:

Silver tarnishes too easily

noun

Dullness of colour; loss of brightness.

Usage examples:

Silver can be oxidized to give the effect of tarnish, and this coloration was popular in europe and…

verb

(of metal surfaces) to become less bright or a different color

Usage examples:

[ i ] silver tarnishes easily., [ t ] the scandal has tarnished the agency’s reputation.

verb

Spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of.

Usage examples:

Development programmes have been vitiated by the rise in population

verb

To destroy or damage something

Usage examples:

He said that american military power should never again be vitiated by political concerns.