contaminate

[kuhn-tam-uh-neyt, kuhn-tam-uh-nit, -neyt]

verb (used with object)

contaminated, contaminating 

1. to make impure or unsuitable by contact or mixture with something unclean, bad, etc..

   to contaminate a lake with sewage.

   Synonyms: corrupt, poison, infect, taint, pollute, defile

2. to render harmful or unusable by adding radioactive material to.

   to contaminate a laboratory.

noun

1. something that contaminates or carries contamination; contaminant.

adjective

1. Obsolete.,  contaminated.

contaminate

verb

1. to make impure, esp by touching or mixing; pollute

2. to make radioactive by the addition of radioactive material

adjective

1. archaic,  contaminated

Other Word Forms

• contaminative adjective
• contaminable adjective
• contaminator noun
• contaminant noun
• contaminous adjective
• noncontaminable adjective
• noncontaminative adjective
• recontaminate verb (used with object)
• self-contaminating adjective
• uncontaminable adjective
• uncontaminated adjective
• uncontaminative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of contaminate¹

1375–1425; late Middle English contaminaten < Latin contāminātus, past participle of contāmināre to defile, spoil, equivalent to con- con- + -tāminare, verbal derivative of *tāmen something touched < *tag-s-men, equivalent to tag-, variant stem of tangere to touch + -s-men resultative noun suffix; examen

Word History and Origins

Origin of contaminate¹

C15: from Latin contamināre to defile; related to Latin contingere to touch

Example Sentences

Postal Service temporarily closed a post office in Torrance, relocated mail services and destroyed thousands of pieces of mail and packages after tests revealed the facility had been contaminated with asbestos, officials said.

From Los Angeles Times

Although there is no evidence the river has been contaminated, experts were hired to find the best way to deal with the rubbish and protect the waterway.

From BBC

The FDA said multiple brands of frozen shrimp may be contaminated with cesium-137, a radioactive isotope.

From Salon

The FDA conducted a trace-back investigation, where officials interview ill patients to identify what food made them sick and where the contaminated food came from.

From Los Angeles Times

Yokeley was subsequently arrested and charged with felony child abuse, two counts of contaminating food or drink with a controlled substance, and felony possession of schedule 1 narcotics.

From Salon

Related Words

• corrupt 
• harm 
• infect 
• injure 
• poison 
• pollute 
• stain 
• taint 
• tarnish