CONTAMINATE

contaminate. contaminate, defiled, or corrupted

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contaminate. Contaminate, a. defiled, polluted, corrupted

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Con‐tam″i‐nate (kŏn‐tăm″ĭ‐nāt), 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. Shall we now Contaminate our figures with base bribes? Shak. I would neither have simplicity imposed upon, nor virtue contaminated. Goldsmith. Syn. — To pollute; defile; sully; taint; tarnish; soil; stain; corrupt.