contaminate

Meanings

Verb

make impure
make radioactive by adding radioactive material
- "Don't drink the water--it's contaminated"
To make something dangerous or toxic by introducing impurities or foreign matter.
To soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association.
To make unfit for use by the introduction of unwholesome or undesirable elements.
To infect, usually of a deadly virus.

Adj

Contaminated.
Dirty, sinful, wicked, gross, etc.

Origin / Etymology

First attested in the early 15ᵗʰ century, in Middle English; from Middle English contaminaten (“to defile; to infect with desease”), from contaminat(e) (“sullied, defiled; infected with desease”, also used as the past participle of contaminaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), from Latin contāminātus, the perfect passive participle of contāminō (“to touch together, blend, mingle, corrupt, defile”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), which see for further informations. More at taste, tax, and taxi.

Synonyms

foul, pollute

Antonyms

decontaminate

Scrabble Score: 15

contaminate is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
contaminate is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
contaminate is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 19

contaminate is a valid Words With Friends word