contaminate

[v. kuh n-tam-uh-neyt; n., adj. kuh n-tam-uh-nit, -neyt] /v. kənˈtæm əˌneɪt; n., adj. kənˈtæm ə nɪt, -ˌneɪt/
verb (used with object), contaminated, contaminating.
1.
to make impure or unsuitable by contact or mixture with something unclean, bad, etc.:
to contaminate a lake with sewage.
2.
to render harmful or unusable by adding radioactive material to:
to contaminate a laboratory.
noun
3.
something that contaminates or carries contamination; contaminant.
adjective
4.
Obsolete, contaminated.
Origin
1375-1425; late Middle English contaminaten < Latin contāminātus, past participle of contāmināre to defile, spoil, equivalent to con- con- + -tāminare, verbal derivative of *tāmen something touched < *tag-s-men, equivalent to tag-, variant stem of tangere to touch + -s-men resultative noun suffix; cf. examen
Related forms
contaminable, adjective
contaminative, adjective
contaminator, noun
contaminous, adjective
noncontaminable, adjective
noncontaminative, adjective
recontaminate, verb (used with object), recontaminated, recontaminating.
self-contaminating, adjective
uncontaminable, adjective
uncontaminated, adjective
uncontaminative, adjective
Synonyms
1. defile, pollute, taint, infect, poison, corrupt.
British Dictionary definitions for contaminate

contaminate

verb (transitive) (kənˈtæmɪˌneɪt)
1.
to make impure, esp by touching or mixing; pollute
2.
to make radioactive by the addition of radioactive material
adjective (kənˈtæmɪnɪt; -ˌneɪt)
3.
(archaic) contaminated
Derived Forms
contaminable, adjective
contaminant, noun
contaminative, adjective
contaminator, noun
Word Origin
C15: from Latin contamināre to defile; related to Latin contingere to touch
Word Origin and History for contaminate
v.

early 15c., from Old French contaminer, from Latin contaminatus, past participle of contaminare "to defile," from contamen "contact, pollution," from com- "together" (see com-) + *tag-, base of tangere "to touch" (see tangent). Related: Contaminant (1934); contaminable.

contaminate in Medicine

contaminate con·tam·i·nate (kən-tām'ə-nāt')
v. con·tam·i·nated, con·tam·i·nat·ing, con·tam·i·nates

  1. To make impure or unclean by contact or mixture.

  2. To expose to or permeate with radioactivity.

con·tam·i·nant (-nənt) n.