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7 dictionary results for: Pollution
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
pol·lu·tion 
[puh-loo-shuhn] Pronunciation Key
[puh-loo-shuhn] Pronunciation Key –noun
| 1. | the act of polluting or the state of being polluted. |
| 2. | the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment: air pollution. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| pol·lu·tion
(pə-lōō'shən) Pronunciation Key
n.
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
pollution
pollution
c.1340, "discharge of semen other than during sex," later, "desecration, defilement" (1382), from L.L. pollutionem (nom. pollutio) "defilement," from L. polluere "to soil, defile, contaminate," from por- "before" + -luere "smear," related to lutum "mud," and to lues "filth" (cf. Gk. lyma "filth, dirt, disgrace," lymax "rubbish, refuse," O.Ir. loth "mud, dirt," Lith. lutynas "pool, puddle"). Sense of "contamination of the environment" first recorded c.1860, but not common until c.1955. Pollute (v.) is attested from c.1380 in sense "defile," from L. pollutus, pp. of polluere. Meaning "contaminate the environment" first recorded 1954. Pollutant is from 1892.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
| pollution | |
noun | |
| 1. | undesirable state of the natural environment being contaminated with harmful substances as a consequence of human activities |
| 2. | the state of being polluted [syn: befoulment] |
| 3. | the act of contaminating or polluting; including (either intentionally or accidentally) unwanted substances or factors [syn: contamination] [ant: decontamination] |
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
pollution
(pə-l 'shən) Pronunciation Key
The contamination of air, water, or soil by substances that are harmful to living organisms. Pollution can occur naturally, for example through volcanic eruptions, or as the result of human activities, such as the spilling of oil or disposal of industrial waste. Light from cities and towns at night that interferes with astronomical observations is known as light pollution. It can also disturb natural rhythms of growth in plants and other organisms. Continuous noise that is loud enough to be annoying or physically harmful is known as noise pollution. Heat from hot water that is discharged from a factory into a river or lake, where it can kill or endanger aquatic life, is known as thermal pollution.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
pollution pol·lu·tion (pə-l&oomacr;'shən)
n.
- The act or process of polluting or the state of being polluted, especially the contamination of soil, water, or the atmosphere by the discharge of harmful substances.
- A pollutant or a group of pollutants.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Pollution
Pol*lu"tion\, n. [L. pollutio: cf. F. pollution.]1. The act of polluting, or the state of being polluted (in any sense of the verb); defilement; uncleanness; impurity. 2. (Med.) The emission of semen, or sperm, at other times than in sexual intercourse. --Dunglison.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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