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
OTHER WORDS FROM pollute
pol·lut·er, noun pol·lu·tive, adjective non·pol·lut·ing, adjective un·pol·lut·ing, adjectiveWords nearby pollute
Example sentences from the Web for pollute
British Dictionary definitions for pollute
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, nounWord Origin for pollute
C14
polute, from Latin
polluere to defile
Medical definitions for pollute
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.