pollute */

pollute */
UK [pəˈluːt] / US [pəˈlut] verb [transitive]
Word forms "pollute":
present tense I/you/we/they pollute he/she/it pollutes present participle polluting past tense polluted past participle polluted
1) to make air, water, or land too dirty and dangerous for people to use in a safe way

The oil spillage has polluted the harbour.

The villagers drank from wells polluted with toxic chemicals.

2) to spoil the good character of someone or something

He was accused of polluting children's minds.


English dictionary. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Pollute — Pol*lute , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Polluted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Polluting}.] [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 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pollute — UK US /pəˈluːt/ verb [I or T] ► ENVIRONMENT to make water, the air, or land dirty and not safe for people, animals, and plants, especially with waste or chemicals: »You don t need to pollute the planet to grow your economy. »He expects coal… …   Financial and business terms

  • pollute — ► VERB 1) contaminate with harmful or poisonous substances. 2) corrupt. DERIVATIVES pollutant adjective & noun polluter noun pollution noun. ORIGIN Latin polluere pollute, defile …   English terms dictionary

  • pollute — [pə lo͞ot′] vt. polluted, polluting [ME poluten < L pollutus, pp. of polluere, to pollute < * por , for per , intens. + luere, to soil < IE base * leu , dirt > Gr lyma, dirt] 1. to make unclean, impure, or corrupt; defile; dirty 2. to …   English World dictionary

  • Pollute — Pol*lute , a. [L. pollutus.] Polluted. [R.] Milton. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pollute — I verb adulterate, alloy, befoul, begrime, bemire, besmirch, bespatter, contaminate, corrupt, debase, debauch, defile, degrade, denaturalize, deprave, desecrate, destroy, dirty, dishonor, filthify, foul, grime, impair, infect, maculate, make foul …   Law dictionary

  • pollute — (v.) late 14c., defile, from L. pollutus, pp. of polluere (see POLLUTION (Cf. pollution)). Related: Polluted; polluting. Meaning contaminate the environment first recorded 1954 …   Etymology dictionary

  • pollute — *contaminate, defile, taint, attaint Analogous words: *debase, vitiate, corrupt, deprave, pervert: *abuse, outrage, mistreat: profane, desecrate, blaspheme (see corresponding nouns at PROFANATION) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • pollute — [v] make dirty; corrupt adulterate, alloy, befoul, besmirch, contaminate, debase, debauch, defile, deprave, desecrate, dirty, dishonor, foul, infect, make filthy, mar, poison, profane, soil, spoil, stain, sully, taint, violate; concepts 246,254… …   New thesaurus

  • pollute — verb 1) fish farms will pollute the lake Syn: contaminate, adulterate, taint, poison, foul, dirty, soil, infect; literary befoul Ant: purify 2) propaganda polluted this nation Syn …   Thesaurus of popular words

  • pollute — verb (T) 1 to make air, water, soil etc dangerously dirty and not suitable for people to use: beaches polluted by raw sewage | industrial emissions that pollute the air 2 pollute sb s mind to give someone immoral thoughts and spoil their… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

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