Contextualizebeta

contaminate

verb
/kənˈtæmɪneɪt/

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.

  1. derived from contāminātus
  2. inherited from contaminaten

Definitions

  1. To make something dangerous or toxic by introducing impurities or foreign matter.

    • This water is contaminated. It isn't safe to drink.
    • Bombs and munitions meanwhile contain toxic substances that contaminate soil, water, and vegetation.

  2. To soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association.

    • Shall we now Contaminate our figures with base bribes?
    • I would neither have simplicity imposed upon, nor virtue contaminated.
    • [Martin] Heidegger's repellent political beliefs do not contaminate his philosophical work.

  3. To make unfit for use by the introduction of unwholesome or undesirable elements.

    • Do not contaminate the peanut butter with the jelly.
  4. ›+ 3 more definitions

    1. To infect, usually of a deadly virus.

    2. Contaminated.

      • And that this body conſecrate to thee, By Ruffian Luſt ſhould be contaminate!

    3. Dirty, sinful, wicked, gross, etc.

The neighborhood

Derived

biocontaminate, contaminator, cross-contaminate, decontaminate, noncontaminating, recontaminate, uncontaminate

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at contaminate. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01contaminate02impurities03impurity04purification05clean06contamination07contaminating

A definitional loop anchored at contaminate. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

7 hops · closes at contaminate

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA