con·tam·i·na·tion

(kən-tăm′ə-nā′shən)

a. The act or process of contaminating.

b. The state of being contaminated.

2. One that contaminates.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

contamination

(kənˌtæmɪˈneɪʃən)

1. the act or process of contaminating or the state of being contaminated

2. something that contaminates

3. (Linguistics) linguistics the process by which one word or phrase is altered because of mistaken associations with another word or phrase; for example, the substitution of irregardless for regardless by association with such words as irrespective

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

con•tam•i•na•tion

(kənˌtæm əˈneɪ ʃən)

n.

1. the act of contaminating.

2. the state of being contaminated.

3. something that contaminates.

4. an alteration in a linguistic form due to the influence of a related form, as the replacement in English of earlier femelle with female through the influence of male.

[1375–1425; late Middle English < Late Latin]

contamination

1. The deposit, absorption, or adsorption of radioactive material, or of biological or chemical agents on or by structures, areas, personnel, or objects. See also fallout; induced radiation; residual radiation.
2. (DOD only) Food and/or water made unfit for consumption by humans or animals because of the presence of environmental chemicals, radioactive elements, bacteria or organisms, the byproduct of the growth of bacteria or organisms, the decomposing material (to include the food substance itself), or waste in the food or water.

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.

contamination

Spoiling by contact.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	contamination - the state of being contaminated taint impureness, impurity - the condition of being impure dust contamination - state of being contaminated with dust
	2.	contamination - a substance that contaminates contaminant material, stuff - the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object; "coal is a hard black material"; "wheat is the stuff they use to make bread"
	3.	contamination - the act of contaminating or polluting; including (either intentionally or accidentally) unwanted substances or factors pollution dirtying, soiling, soilure - the act of soiling something dust contamination - the act of contaminating with dust particles decontamination - the removal of contaminants

contamination

noun pollution, dirtying, infection, corruption, poisoning, decay, taint, filth, impurity, contagion, adulteration, foulness, defilement Acid rain is responsible for the destruction of forests and the contamination of rivers and streams.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

contamination

noun

1. The state of being contaminated:

adulteration, pollution, sophistication.

2. One that contaminates:

adulterant, adulterator, contaminant, contaminator, impurity, poison, pollutant.

Translations

تَلويث

znečištěníinfikováníkontaminace

forurening

Verseuchung

contaminación

contamination

megfertőzés

mengun

contaminazione infezione

forurensning kontaminering

kirletme

污染

contamination

[kənˌtæmɪˈneɪʃən] N → contaminación f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

contamination

[kənˌtæmɪˈneɪʃ^ən] n [land, water, food] → contamination f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

contamination

n no pl → Verunreinigung f, → Verschmutzung f; (by poison) → Vergiftung f; (by radioactivity) → Verseuchung f, → Kontaminierung f (spec); (= substance) → Giftstoffe pl; (fig) → schädlicher Einfluss (→ of auf +acc)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

contamination

[kənˌtæmɪˈneɪʃ/ən] n → contaminazione f

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

contaminate

(kənˈtӕmineit) verb

to make impure. The town's water-supply has been contaminated by chemicals from the factory.

conˌtamiˈnation noun

con·tam·i·na·tion

n. contaminación; infección.

contamination

n contaminación f

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Radiant virtue sat upon his brow and his repelling hands expressed horror of contamination.

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'Give me the child!' she said, in a voice scarce louder than a whisper, but with a tone of startling vehemence, and, seizing the boy, she snatched him from me, as if some dire contamination were in my touch, and then stood with one hand firmly clasping his, the other on his shoulder, fixing upon me her large, luminous dark eyes - pale, breathless, quivering with agitation.

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Can the blood of the Westerns submit to such contamination? If you have not sense sufficient to restrain such monstrous inclinations, I thought the pride of our family would have prevented you from giving the least encouragement to so base an affection; much less did I imagine you would ever have had the assurance to own it to my face."

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He was going to be a clergyman, and it was necessary that he should be preserved from contamination. She liked to see in him an infant Samuel.

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He uttered a clucking noise in advertisement of his friendliness, and Michael snarled at this black who had dared to lay hands upon him--a contamination, according to Michael's training--and who now dared to address him who associated only with white gods.

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The attendants of the Abbot crossed themselves, with looks of pious horror, and the very heathen Saracens, as Isaac drew near them, curled up their whiskers with indignation, and laid their hands on their poniards, as if ready to rid themselves by the most desperate means from the apprehended contamination of his nearer approach.

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All the other sounds of this earth brought contamination to the solitude of a soul.

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Little girl, a memory without blot or contamination must be an exquisite treasure--an inexhaustible source of pure refreshment: is it not?"

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I am sorry because I believe there is contamination in such a scoundrel.

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'I speak,' she said, not deigning to take any heed of this appeal, and drawing away her dress from the contamination of Emily's touch,

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and she was honestly anxious to preserve her little daughter from the contamination of further intimacy with such a child.

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He believes that nothing would have induced any boy in the school, himself included, to have gone close to the Englishman; so deeply had they been impressed with an idea of the heresy, contamination, and evil to be derived from contact with such a person.

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