CONTAMINATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does contaminate mean? 

• CONTAMINATE (verb)
  The verb CONTAMINATE has 2 senses:

1. make impure

2. make radioactive by adding radioactive material

  Familiarity information: CONTAMINATE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CONTAMINATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they contaminate    ... he / she / it contaminates   
Past simple: contaminated   
Past participle: contaminated   
-ing form: contaminating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make impure

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

contaminate; foul; pollute

Context example:

The industrial wastes polluted the lake

Hypernyms (to "contaminate" is one way to...):

begrime; bemire; colly; dirty; grime; soil (make soiled, filthy, or dirty)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "contaminate"):

infect; taint (contaminate with a disease or microorganism)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

contaminant (a substance that contaminates)

contamination (the act of contaminating or polluting; including (either intentionally or accidentally) unwanted substances or factors)

contamination (the state of being contaminated)

contamination (a substance that contaminates)

contaminative (making impure by contact or mixing)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make radioactive by adding radioactive material

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

Don't drink the water--it's contaminated

Hypernyms (to "contaminate" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Antonym:

decontaminate (rid of contamination)

Derivation:

contamination (the act of contaminating or polluting; including (either intentionally or accidentally) unwanted substances or factors)

contamination (the state of being contaminated)

contamination (a substance that contaminates)

contaminative (making impure by contact or mixing)

 Context examples 

You can also get the infection by swallowing water in a swimming pool contaminated with human waste.

(E. Coli Infections, NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

Human infection is commonly caused by the consumption of undercooked ground beef or unpasteurized milk or juice or exposure to contaminated lakes, pools or drinking water.

(Escherichia coli strain O157:H7, NCI Thesaurus)

Each year, 48 million people in the U.S. get sick from contaminated food.

(Foodborne Illness, NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

It is caused by drinking water contaminated with water fleas.

(Dracunculiasis, NCI Thesaurus)

It may also be on surfaces that have been contaminated with waste.

(Cryptosporidiosis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Patients are infected usually by ingestion of contaminated food or wound contamination.

(Botulism, NCI Thesaurus)

B. pseudomallei is found in contaminated soil, water, and produce and causes melioidosis in humans with the highest rate of disease occurring in southeast Asia.

(Burkholderia pseudomallei, NCI Thesaurus)

The disease can also spread through contaminated food, a blood transfusion, a donated organ or from mother to baby during pregnancy.

(Chagas Disease, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

The patient becomes contaminated from contact with blood/fluids on a device.

(Contamination From Blood Or Body Fluids, NCI Thesaurus)

It spreads through contaminated food or water, and contact with an infected person.

(Gastroenteritis, NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)