to make foul, dirty, or unclean; pollute; taint; debase.
2.
to violate the chastity of.
3.
to make impure for ceremonial use; desecrate.
4.
to sully, as a person's reputation.
Origin: 1275–1325; ME defilen, defelen, alter. of defoilen (by assoc. with filen to file3) < AF, OF defouler to trample on, violate; cf. OE befȳlan to befoul
To make filthy or dirty; pollute: defile a river with sewage.
To debase the pureness or excellence of; corrupt: a country landscape that was defiled by urban sprawl.
To profane or sully (a reputation, for example).
To make unclean or unfit for ceremonial use; desecrate: defile a temple.
To violate the chastity of.
[Middle English defilen, alteration (influenced by filen, to befoul, from Old English fȳlan; see p- in Indo-European roots) of defoulen, to trample on, abuse, pollute, from Old French defouler, to trample, full cloth : de-, de- + fouler, to trample, beat down; see full2.] de·file'ment n., de·fil'er n., de·fil'ing·ly adv.
de·file 2 (dĭ-fīl') intr.v.
de·filed, de·fil·ing, de·files To march in single file or in files or columns. n.
A narrow gorge or pass that restricts lateral movement, as of troops.
A march in a line.
[French défiler : dé-, away, off (from Old French de-; see de-) + file, line, file (from Old French filer, to spin thread, march in line; see file1). N., from French défilé, from past participle of défiler.]