contaminate
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
adjective
verb
-
to make impure, esp by touching or mixing; pollute
-
to make radioactive by the addition of radioactive material
adjective
Other Word Forms
- contaminable adjective
- contaminant noun
- contaminative adjective
- contaminator noun
- contaminous adjective
- noncontaminable adjective
- noncontaminative adjective
- recontaminate verb (used with object)
- self-contaminating adjective
- uncontaminable adjective
- uncontaminated adjective
- uncontaminative adjective
Etymology
Origin of contaminate
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Along with a lack of robust studies into these peptides, recent analysis of some of the products suggests that 8% may be contaminated with bacterial endotoxins.
From BBC
These particles can enter the body through food, breathing contaminated air, or contact with the skin.
From Science Daily
The manufacturer, Ajinomoto Foods North America, recalled more than 3 million pounds of frozen chicken fried rice that “may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically glass,” according to an alert issued by the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times
The ground-level containers hide a chute to underground bins, one for recycling and one for general waste, that Hirra says are meant to be collected on different days so one doesn't contaminate the other.
From BBC
Some local officials had also initially suspected the outbreak might have stemmed from contaminated raw chicken meat fed to the tigers, the Bangkok Post reported.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
