decontaminate

[ dee-kuh n-tam-uh-neyt ]

/ ˌdi kənˈtæm əˌneɪt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR decontaminate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), de·con·tam·i·nated, de·con·tam·i·nat·ing.

to make (an object or area) safe for unprotected personnel by removing, neutralizing, or destroying any harmful substance, as radioactive material or poisonous gas.

to make free of contamination; purify: to decontaminate a sickroom.

Nearby words

Origin of decontaminate

First recorded in 1935–40; de- + contaminate

Related formsde·con·tam·i·na·tion, nounde·con·tam·i·na·tive, adjectivede·con·tam·i·na·tor, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for decontamination

He says BP still owes him $15,000 for two deckhands and another $20,000 for decontamination and repainting of his boat.
The Gulf of Mexico's Seafood Rebirth a Year After the BP Oil Spill|Rick Outzen|April 18, 2011|DAILY BEAST
So he took a decontamination shower alone, clothes on, and then drove home through empty streets to his empty house.
A Nuclear Meltdown Survivor Story|Tony Doukopil|March 17, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The Tories' "decontamination" strategy was designed for happier times.
Will Britain's Conservatives Blow it?|Alex Massie|February 28, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Decontamination squads with fire bombs were shown as they sought to cleanse Euclid Avenue of its infected dead.
Deepfreeze|Robert Donald Locke

He wandered around the decontamination room, looking at everything, hoping he might see something that would give him a clue.
The Bramble Bush|Gordon Randall Garrett
Decontamination jets hissed, sluicing the ship to remove surface contamination.
The Lani People|J. F. Bone
And it took us two weeks of bunking with the sullen crew and decontamination before we could pick up life again.
Let'em Breathe Space|Lester del Rey
He turned away and walked back to the decontamination chamber.
The Bramble Bush|Gordon Randall Garrett

British Dictionary definitions for decontamination

decontaminate

/ (ˌdiːkənˈtæmɪˌneɪt) /

verb

(tr) to render (an area, building, object, etc) harmless by the removal, distribution, or neutralization of poisons, radioactivity, etc

Derived Formsdecontaminant, noundecontamination, noundecontaminative, adjectivedecontaminator, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for decontamination

decontaminate

1936, from de- + contaminate. Originally in reference to poison gas. Related: Decontaminated; decontaminating.

Medicine definitions for decontamination

decontamination

[ dē′kən-tăm′ə-nā′shən ]

n.

The removal or neutralization of a contaminating substance, such as poisonous gas or a radioactive material.

Related formsde′con•tam′i•nate (-nāt′) v.

decontaminate

verb (used with object), de·con·tam·i·nated, de·con·tam·i·nat·ing.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of decontaminate

Examples from the Web for decontamination

decontaminate

verb

decontaminate

decontamination

n.