contaminate
kuhn-TA-mih-nayt
Contaminate (verb) means to make something impure, dirty, or unsafe by introducing a harmful substance. Example: “A chemical spill contaminated the local water supply.”
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
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- contaminates
- Past tense
- contaminated
- Comparative
- more contaminate
- Superlative
- most contaminate
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.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
decontaminate
Related words
Rhymes for contaminate
See all rhymes for contaminate →Frequently asked questions
What does “contaminate” mean?
The word “contaminate” means to make something impure, dirty, or unsafe by introducing a harmful substance. In plain terms, to make something dirty, unsafe, or spoiled by introducing something harmful into it.
How do you pronounce “contaminate”?
“Contaminate” is pronounced kuhn-TA-mih-nayt (/kənˈtæmɪneɪt/ in IPA).
How do you use “contaminate” in a sentence?
Here is “contaminate” used in a sentence: “A chemical spill contaminated the local water supply.”
What part of speech is “contaminate”?
“Contaminate” is a verb.
Where does the word “contaminate” come from?
The word “contaminate” comes from Latin. From Latin contaminare, "to corrupt or defile by mixing," from contaminatus, the past participle of the same verb.
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