fluoridate

American

[floor-i-deyt, flawr-, flohr-] / ˈflʊər ɪˌdeɪt, ˈflɔr-, ˈfloʊr- /

verb (used with object)

fluoridated, fluoridating

to introduce a fluoride into.

to fluoridate drinking water.

fluoridate British

/ ˈflʊərɪˌdeɪt /

verb

to subject (water) to fluoridation

"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

fluoridate Scientific

/ flr′ĭ-dāt′ /

To add fluorine or a fluoride to something, especially to drinking water in order to prevent tooth decay.

Other Word Forms

defluoridate verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of fluoridate

First recorded in 1945–50; back formation from fluoridation

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

About 1.6 million more people will have their water supply fluoridated, the government has confirmed.

From BBC

State and local authorities decide for themselves whether to fluoridate the water supply.

From Los Angeles Times

As of 2012, two-thirds of Americans had access to fluoridated tap water.

From Los Angeles Times

Fluoride - a naturally occurring mineral recognised to protect teeth against decay - is added to water supplies in many countries, including the US, where around 63% of the population have fluoridated water.

From BBC

In England, about one in 10 people has fluoridated drinking water.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023