pollute

[ puh-loot ]
/ pəˈlut /

verb (used with object), pol·lut·ed, pol·lut·ing.

to make foul or unclean, especially with harmful chemical or waste products; dirty: to pollute the air with smoke.
to make morally unclean; defile.
to render ceremonially impure; desecrate: to pollute a house of worship.
Informal. to render less effective or efficient: The use of inferior equipment has polluted the company's service.

Origin of pollute

1325–75; Middle English polute < Latin pollūtus past participle of polluere to soil, defile, equivalent to pol-, assimilated variant of por- (see pollicitation; here marking the action as complete) + -lū- base of -luere (akin to lutum mud, dirt, lustrum muddy place) + -tus past participle suffix

SYNONYMS FOR pollute

1 soil, befoul.
2 taint, contaminate, vitiate, corrupt, debase, deprave.

ANTONYMS FOR pollute

1, 2 purify.

OTHER WORDS FROM pollute

pol·lut·er, noun pol·lu·tive, adjective non·pol·lut·ing, adjective un·pol·lut·ing, adjective

Words nearby pollute

pollock, jackson, pollster, polltaker, pollucite, pollutant, pollute, polluted, pollution, pollux, polly, pollyanna

British Dictionary definitions for nonpolluting (1 of 2)

nonpolluting
/ (ˌnɒnpəˈluːtɪŋ) /

adjective

(of a fuel, vehicle, technology, etc) not resulting in or causing pollution

British Dictionary definitions for nonpolluting (2 of 2)

pollute
/ (pəˈluːt) /

verb (tr)

to contaminate, as with poisonous or harmful substances
to make morally corrupt or impure; sully
to desecrate or defile

Derived forms of pollute

polluter, noun

Word Origin for pollute

C14 polute, from Latin polluere to defile

Medical definitions for nonpolluting

pollute
[ pə-lōōt′ ]

v.

To make unfit for or harmful to living things, especially by the addition of waste matter; contaminate.
To make less suitable for an activity, especially by the introduction of unwanted factors.

Other words from pollute

pol•lut′er n.