POLLUTE

pollute, foul, contaminate

(verb) make impure; “The industrial wastes polluted the lake”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

pollute (third-person singular simple present pollutes, present participle polluting, simple past and past participle polluted)

(transitive) To make something harmful, especially by the addition of some unwanted product.

(transitive) To make something or somewhere less suitable for some activity, especially by the introduction of some unnatural factor.

(dated) To corrupt or profane

To violate sexually; to debauch; to dishonour.

Adjective

pollute (comparative more pollute, superlative most pollute)

(rare) Polluted; defiled.

Source: Wiktionary


Pol*lute", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Polluted; p. pr. & vb. n. Polluting.] Etym: [L. pollutus, p. p. of polluere to defile, to pollute, from a prep. appearing only in comp. + luere to wash. See Position, Lave.]

1. To make foul, impure, or unclean; to defile; to taint; to soil; to desecrate; -- used of physical or moral defilement. The land was polluted with blood. Ps. cvi. 38 Wickedness . . . hath polluted the whole earth. 2 Esd. xv. 6.

2. To violate sexually; to debauch; to dishonor.

3. (Jewish Law)

Definition: To render ceremonially unclean; to disqualify or unfit for sacred use or service, or for social intercourse. Neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die. Num. xviii. 32. They have polluted themselves with blood. Lam. iv. 14.

Syn.

– To defile; soil; contaminate; corrupt; taint; vitiate; debauch; dishonor; ravish.

Pol*lute", a. Etym: [L. pollutus.]

Definition: Polluted. [R.] Milton.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

29 March 2025

THOUGHTLESS

(adjective) without care or thought for others; “the thoughtless saying of a great princess on being informed that the people had no bread; ‘Let them eat cake’”


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Coffee Trivia

The world’s most expensive coffee costs more than US$700 per kilogram. Asian palm civet – a cat-like creature in Indonesia, eats fruits, including select coffee cherries. It excretes partially digested seeds that produce a smooth, less acidic brew of coffee called kopi luwak.

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