FreeScrabbleDictionary

contaminate

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
15
Words With Friends
19
Letters
11
Pronunciation
/kənˈtæmɪneɪt/

Definition of contaminate

6 senses · 2 parts of speech · etymology included

verb

  1. (transitive)To make something dangerous or toxic by introducing impurities or foreign matter.
    “This water is contaminated. It isn't safe to drink.”
    “Bombs and munitions meanwhile contain toxic substances that contaminate soil, water, and vegetation.”
See all 6 definitions

verb

  1. (transitive)To make something dangerous or toxic by introducing impurities or foreign matter.
    “This water is contaminated. It isn't safe to drink.”
    “Bombs and munitions meanwhile contain toxic substances that contaminate soil, water, and vegetation.”
  2. (transitive)To soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association.
    “Shall we now Contaminate our figures with base bribes?”
    “I would neither have simplicity imposed upon, nor virtue contaminated.”
    “[Martin] Heidegger's repellent political beliefs do not contaminate his philosophical work.”
  3. (transitive)To make unfit for use by the introduction of unwholesome or undesirable elements.
    “Do not contaminate the peanut butter with the jelly.”
  4. (transitive)To infect, usually of a deadly virus.

adj

  1. (obsolete)Contaminated.
    “And that this body conſecrate to thee, By Ruffian Luſt ſhould be contaminate!”
  2. (figuratively, obsolete)Dirty, sinful, wicked, gross, etc.

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

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…

See full 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.

Words you can make from contaminate

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9-letter words

2 words

8-letter words

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7-letter words

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6-letter words

72 words

5-letter words

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