con
ta
mi
nate
Third Person
contaminates
Present Participle
contaminating
Past Tense
contaminated
Past Participle
contaminated
1
to make a place, substance, etc. dirty or harmful by adding dangerous material
transitive
- The factory's discharge pipes contaminated the river with toxic chemicals.
- Careless waste disposal practices can contaminate groundwater with hazardous substances.
- Food can be contaminated if not stored properly or if handled in unsanitary conditions.
- Air pollution from industrial emissions can contaminate the atmosphere with harmful gases.
- Oil spills can contaminate beaches and marine ecosystems, causing extensive environmental damage.
Synonyms:
2
to make something radioactive by introducing radioactive material into it
transitive
- The lab worker accidentally contaminated the samples with radioactive isotopes.
- The site was contaminated after the nuclear accident.
- They discovered that the soil was contaminated with radioactive waste.
- The radioactive leak contaminated the surrounding environment.
- After the test, the equipment was found to be contaminated with radioactive substances.
Antonyms: