contaminate

con·tam·i·nate  (kn-tm-nt)

tr.v. con·tam·i·nated, con·tam·i·nat·ing, con·tam·i·nates

1. To make impure or unclean by contact or mixture.

2. To expose to or permeate with radioactivity.

adj. Archaic (-nt)

Contaminated.

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[Middle English contaminaten, from Latin contminre, contmint-; see tag- in Indo-European roots.]

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con·tami·native adj.

con·tami·nator n.

Synonyms: contaminate, befoul, foul, poison, pollute, taint
These verbs mean to make dirty or impure: pesticides that contaminated the lake; mud that befouled my shoes; noxious fumes that foul the air; drugs that poisoned her mind; air polluted by exhaust; food tainted through improper storage.

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contaminate

Verb

[-nating, -nated]

1. to make impure; pollute

2. to make radioactive [Latin contaminare to defile]

contaminant n
contamination n

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	contaminate - make impure; "The industrial wastes polluted the lake" pollute, foul infect, taint - contaminate with a disease or microorganism begrime, bemire, colly, dirty, grime, soil - make soiled, filthy, or dirty; "don't soil your clothes when you play outside!"
	2.	contaminate - make radioactive by adding radioactive material; "Don't drink the water--it's contaminated" alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" decontaminate - rid of contamination; "The soil around the housing development had to be decontaminated by the city"

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contaminate

verb pollute, infect, stain, corrupt, taint, sully, defile, adulterate, befoul, soil << OPPOSITE purify

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See: contamination.

Translations

contaminate [kənˈtæmɪneɪt] vt → contaminar

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contaminate [kənˈtæmɪneɪt] vt → contaminer

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contaminate [kənˈtæmɪneɪt] vt (water, food) → verunreinigen;

(soil etc) → verseuchen

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contaminate [kənˈtæmɪneɪt] vt → contaminare