Contaminate: Definition, Usage, and Examples

Meaning 1：make dirty or harmful by contact (contaminate)

contaminate 🔊

/kənˈtæmɪneɪt/

vt.

to make something dirty or unsafe by adding something harmful, like germs or chemicals.

Contaminate kitchen scene: raw chicken juices dripping onto fresh salad

make dirty or harmful by contact 🔊

➕

/meɪk ˈdɜːrti ɔːr ˈhɑːrmfəl baɪ ˈkɒntækt/

vt.

To introduce a harmful substance or impurity into something, making it unclean, unsafe, or unsuitable for use.

📁 Category：Diet & Health 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'contaminare' (con- 'together' + taminare 'to touch, to defile').

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'con' (with) + 'tam' (tamper) → tampering with something brings contamination.

📖 Example

The child was told to wash his hands before eating so that he wouldn't contaminate the apple with dirt from the garden. 🔊 The child was told to wash his hands before eating so that he wouldn't contaminate the apple with dirt from the garden.

🔗 Collocations

contaminate water – to make water unsafe by adding pollutants

contaminate food – to make food harmful by adding germs or toxins

contaminate soil – to make soil toxic by adding chemicals

🔄 Synonyms

pollute (vt.) – to release harmful substances into the environment

defile (vt.) – to make something sacred or clean become impure

taint (vt.) – to spoil something by adding a small amount of something harmful

🚫 Antonyms

cleanse (vt.) – to thoroughly clean and remove impurities

purify (vt.) – to remove contaminants and make pure

sanitize (vt.) – to make clean and free of bacteria

🌱 Derivatives

contamination (n.) – the act or process of contaminating

contaminant (n.) – a substance that contaminates

contaminated (adj.) – made dirty or unsafe by contamination

📖 Cultural Story

From Latin 'contaminare' (to defile by contact). Common in discussions about water pollution, food safety, and environmental hazards.