contaminate
English
[edit]Etymology 1
[edit]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.
Pronunciation
[edit]Verb
[edit]contaminate (third-person singular simple present contaminates, present participle contaminating, simple past and past participle contaminated)
- (transitive) To make something dangerous or toxic by introducing impurities or foreign matter.
- This water is contaminated. It isn't safe to drink.
- (transitive) To soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association.
- 1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:
- Shall we now
Contaminate our figures with base bribes?
- 1766, [Oliver Goldsmith], The Vicar of Wakefield: […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), Salisbury, Wiltshire: […] B. Collins, for F[rancis] Newbery, […], →OCLC:
- I would neither have simplicity imposed upon, nor virtue contaminated.
- 2014 April 12, Michael Inwood, “Martin Heidegger: the philosopher who fell for Hitler [print version: Hitler's philosopher]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review)[1], London, page R11:
- [Martin] Heidegger's repellent political beliefs do not contaminate his philosophical work.
- (transitive) To make unfit for use by the introduction of unwholesome or undesirable elements.
- Do not contaminate the peanut butter with the jelly.
- (transitive) To infect, usually of a deadly virus.
Derived terms
[edit]Related terms
[edit]Translations
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Etymology 2
[edit]First attested in the early 15th century, in Middle English; from Middle English contaminat(e) (“sullied, defiled; infected with desease”, also used as the past participle of contaminaten), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more. Participial usage up until Early Modern English.
Adjective
[edit]contaminate (comparative more contaminate, superlative most contaminate) (obsolete)
- (used as a participle) Contaminated.
- (figuratively) Dirty, sinful, wicked, gross, etc.
Further reading
[edit]- “contaminate”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “contaminate”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
- “contaminate”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Italian
[edit]Verb
[edit]contaminate
- inflection of contaminare:
Anagrams
[edit]Latin
[edit]Verb
[edit]contāmināte
Spanish
[edit]Verb
[edit]contaminate
- second-person singular voseo imperative of contaminar combined with te
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *teh₂g- (touch)
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms suffixed with -ate (verb)
- English 4-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- English terms suffixed with -ate (adjective)
- English adjectives
- English obsolete terms
- Italian non-lemma forms
- Italian verb forms
- Latin non-lemma forms
- Latin verb forms
- Spanish non-lemma forms
- Spanish verb forms