Wiktionary

pollute

English

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Etymology

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From Middle English polluten, borrowed from Latin pollūtum, from pollūtus (“no longer virgin", "unchaste”), perfect passive participle of polluō (“soil", "defile", "dishonor”).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /pəˈluːt/, /pəˈljuːt/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -uːt

Verb

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pollute (third-person singular simple present pollutes, present participle polluting, simple past and past participle polluted)

 
A polluting car in Lusaka (1)
  1. (transitive) To make something harmful, especially by the addition of some unwanted product.
    The factory polluted the river when it cleaned its tanks.
  2. (transitive) To make something or somewhere less suitable for some activity, especially by the introduction of some unnatural factor.
    The lights from the stadium polluted the night sky, and we couldn't see the stars.
  3. To corrupt or profane
    • 1952, Bible (Revised Standard Version, Revelation 21:8
      But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.
  4. To violate sexually; to debauch; to dishonour.

Derived terms

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Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Adjective

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pollute (comparative more pollute, superlative most pollute)

  1. (rare) Polluted; defiled.

Translations

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References

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Italian

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Adjective

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pollute

  1. feminine plural of polluto

Latin

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Participle

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pollūte

  1. vocative masculine singular of pollūtus

Middle English

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Verb

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pollute

  1. Alternative form of polluten
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