pollute

[ puh-loot ]
/ pəˈlut /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR pollute ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), pol·lut·ed, pol·lut·ing.

to make foul or unclean, especially with harmful chemical or waste products; dirty: to pollute the air with smoke.
to make morally unclean; defile.
to render ceremonially impure; desecrate: to pollute a house of worship.
Informal. to render less effective or efficient: The use of inferior equipment has polluted the company's service.

QUIZZES

PRACTICE SOME ESCAPISM WITH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

We salute you if you remember all the doovers from Word of the Day between May 25 and May 31!
Question 1 of 7
salute
to call out to in order to stop, attract attention, ask aid, etc.
to wield power; exercise rule.
to express respect or praise for; honor; commend.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of pollute

1325–75; Middle English polute < Latin pollūtus past participle of polluere to soil, defile, equivalent to pol-, assimilated variant of por- (see pollicitation; here marking the action as complete) + -lū- base of -luere (akin to lutum mud, dirt, lustrum muddy place) + -tus past participle suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM pollute

pol·lut·er, nounpol·lu·tive, adjectivenon·pol·lut·ing, adjectiveun·pol·lut·ing, adjective

Words nearby pollute

pollock, jackson, pollster, polltaker, pollucite, pollutant, pollute, polluted, pollution, pollux, polly, pollyanna
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to pollute

violate, infect, taint, foul, poison, contaminate, stain, sully, defile, befoul, mar, debase, profane, soil, dishonor, alloy, desecrate, dirty, spoil, debauch

Example sentences from the Web for pollute

British Dictionary definitions for pollute

pollute
/ (pəˈluːt) /

verb (tr)

to contaminate, as with poisonous or harmful substances
to make morally corrupt or impure; sully
to desecrate or defile

Derived forms of pollute

polluter, noun

Word Origin for pollute

C14 polute, from Latin polluere to defile
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

Medical definitions for pollute

pollute
[ pə-lōōt′ ]

v.

To make unfit for or harmful to living things, especially by the addition of waste matter; contaminate.
To make less suitable for an activity, especially by the introduction of unwanted factors.

Other words from pollute

pol•lut′er n.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.