verb
contaminate
kuhn-TA-mih-nayt
verb
1
To make something impure, dirty, or unsafe by introducing a harmful substance.
"A chemical spill contaminated the local water supply."
"Even a small crack can let bacteria contaminate the food inside."
How to Use Contaminate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo make something dirty, unsafe, or spoiled by introducing something harmful into it.
Common pairings
contaminate the soil
contaminate a sample
contaminated water
Word Forms
more contaminate comparative, contaminated past tense, contaminates singular, most contaminate superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “contaminate”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
A chemical spill _____ the local water supply.
Etymology
From Latin contaminare, "to corrupt or defile by mixing," from contaminatus, the past participle of the same verb.