DEFILE

defile, gorge

(noun) a narrow pass (especially one between mountains)

foul, befoul, defile, maculate

(verb) spot, stain, or pollute; “The townspeople defiled the river by emptying raw sewage into it”

tarnish, stain, maculate, sully, defile

(verb) make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically; “The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air”; “Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man”

defile, sully, corrupt, taint, cloud

(verb) place under suspicion or cast doubt upon; “sully someone’s reputation”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology 1

Verb

defile (third-person singular simple present defiles, present participle defiling, simple past and past participle defiled)

(transitive) To make unclean, dirty, or impure; soil; befoul.

(transitive) To vandalize or add inappropriate contents to something considered sacred or special; desecrate

(transitive) To deprive or ruin someone's (sexual) purity or chastity, often not consensually; stain; tarnish; mar; rape

Synonyms

• (make unclean): contaminate, pollute, spoil, sully; see also dirty

• (vandalize something considered sacred): desecrate, profane; see also desecrate

• (violate chastity of): ravish, violate, vitiate

Antonyms

• (make unclean): clean, purify; see also make clean

• (vandalize something considered sacred): sanctify; see also consecrate

Etymology 2

Noun

defile (plural defiles)

A narrow way or passage, e.g. between mountains.

A single file, such as of soldiers.

The act of defilading a fortress, or of raising the exterior works in order to protect the interior.

Verb

defile (third-person singular simple present defiles, present participle defiling, simple past and past participle defiled)

(archaic, intransitive) To march in a single file.

Anagrams

• e-filed

Source: Wiktionary

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De*file", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Defiled; p. pr. & vb. n. Defiling.] Etym: [F. défiler; pref. dé-, for des- (L. dis-) + file a row or line. See File a row.]

Definition: To march off in a line, file by file; to file off.

De*file", v. t. (Mil.)

Definition: Same as Defilade.

De*file", n. Etym: [Cf. F. défilé, fr. défiler to defile.]

1. Any narrow passage or gorge in which troops can march only in a file, or with a narrow front; a long, narrow pass between hills, rocks, etc.

2. (Mil.)

Definition: The act of defilading a fortress, or of raising the exterior works in order to protect the interior. See Defilade.

De*file", v. t. Etym: [OE. defoulen, -foilen, to tread down, OF. defouler; de- + fouler to trample (see Full, v. t.), and OE. defoulen to foul (influenced in form by the older verb defoilen). See File to defile, Foul, Defoul.]

1. To make foul or impure; to make filthy; to dirty; to befoul; to pollute. They that touch pitch will be defiled. Shak.

2. To soil or sully; to tarnish, as reputation; to taint. He is . . . among the greatest prelates of this age, however his character may be defiled by . . . dirty hands. Swift.

3. To injure in purity of character; to corrupt. Defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt. Ezek. xx. 7.

4. To corrupt the chastity of; to debauch; to violate. The husband murder'd and the wife defiled. Prior.

5. To make ceremonially unclean; to pollute. That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile therewith. Lev. xxii. 8.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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