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contaminated

 - 5 dictionary results
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con⋅tam⋅i⋅nate

  [v. kuhn-tam-uh-neyt; n., adj. kuhn-tam-uh-nit, -neyt] verb, -nat⋅ed, -nat⋅ing, noun, adjective
Use contaminated in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to make impure or unsuitable by contact or mixture with something unclean, bad, etc.: to contaminate a lake with sewage.
2. to render harmful or unusable by adding radioactive material to: to contaminate a laboratory.
–noun
3. something that contaminates or carries contamination; contaminant.
–adjective
4. Obsolete. contaminated.
Origin:
1375–1425; late ME contaminaten < L contāminātus, ptp. of contāmināre to defile, spoil, equiv. to con- con- + -tāminare, v. deriv. of *tāmen something touched < *tag-s-men, equiv. to tag-, var. s. of tangere to touch + -s-men resultative n. suffix; cf. examen

Related forms:
con⋅tam⋅i⋅na⋅ble, adjective
con⋅tam⋅i⋅na⋅tive, adjective
con⋅tam⋅i⋅na⋅tor, noun
con⋅tam⋅i⋅nous, adjective

Synonyms:
1. defile, pollute, taint, infect, poison, corrupt.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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con·tam·i·nate   (kən-tām'ə-nāt')   
tr.v.   con·tam·i·nated, con·tam·i·nat·ing, con·tam·i·nates

  1. To make impure or unclean by contact or mixture.

  2. To expose to or permeate with radioactivity.

n.   (-nĭt)
One that contaminates; a contaminant.

[Middle English contaminaten, from Latin contāmināre, contāmināt-; see tag- in Indo-European roots.]
con·tam'i·na'tive adj., con·tam'i·na'tor n.
Synonyms: These verbs mean to make dirty or impure: Pesticides contaminated the lake. Mud befouled my shoes. Noxious fumes fouled the air. Drugs poisoned her mind. Exhaust polluted the air. Improper storage tainted the food.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

contaminate 
1526, from O.Fr. contaminer, from L. contaminatus, pp. of contaminare "to defile," from contamen "contact, pollution," from com- "together" + *tag-, base of tangere "to touch" (see tangent).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: con·tam·i·nate
Pronunciation: k&n-'tam-&-"nAt
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: -nat·ed;-nat·ing
1 : to soil, stain, or infect by contact or association contaminated the wound>
2 : to make inferior or impure byadmixture contaminated by sulfur dioxide> —con·tam·i·na·tive /-"nAt-iv/ adjective —con·tam·i·na·tor /-"nAt-&r/ noun
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

contaminate con·tam·i·nate (kən-tām'ə-nāt')
v. con·tam·i·nated, con·tam·i·nat·ing, con·tam·i·nates

  1. To make impure or unclean by contact or mixture.

  2. To expose to or permeate with radioactivity.

con·tam·i·nant (-nənt) n.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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