Definitions

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective spreading contamination; especially radioactive contamination.
  • adjective causing moral or behavioral degredation.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb Present participle of contaminate.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective spreading pollution or contamination; especially radioactive contamination
  • adjective that infects or taints

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Often enough, unfortunately, such a defender of an expiring ideology, by proclaiming it to be nature's own law, succeeds in contaminating the more gullible of his opponents, who, unaware of their defeat, then begin to retaliate in kind.

    Archive 2007-03-01 Matthew Guerrieri 2007

  • Often enough, unfortunately, such a defender of an expiring ideology, by proclaiming it to be nature's own law, succeeds in contaminating the more gullible of his opponents, who, unaware of their defeat, then begin to retaliate in kind.

    Pushing the envelope Matthew Guerrieri 2007

  • Monty suggests that despite — or because of — their wealth and political influence, the Jews are "contaminating" the nation with their "dirty" accents and their money.

    Caught in the Crossfire: Adrian Scott and the Politics of Americanism in 1940s Hollywood 2007

  • She said that there is no facility for them she demanded for proper drainage and sanitation system to save River water from contaminating which is polluting by cloth washing and damaging marine and wild life.

    Garamchishma famous for naturally hot water 2009

  • As far as my understanding goes, some Mexicans, including scientists and indigenous people who still view their traditional relationship with corn as important, are concerned about the genetically modified corn varieties 'contaminating' traditional varieties.

    Photos of 2� Feria de Ma�z Criollo, P�tzcuaro 2006

  • And scenes are memorable, like when Vincent (Ethan Hawke) protects his identity by "contaminating" his keyboard with "Valid" skin samples taken from the disabled Valid (Jude Law) who is helping him.

    SF Movies You (Probably) Haven't Seen 2004

  • As Yoder (correctly) argues, Locke senses these "contaminating" complexities.

    From the (Ever) Complex to the (Never) Simple: A Response to R. Paul Yoder's 2001

  • Can we speak of one system "contaminating" the other, or do the two merge in a productive dialectic?

    Tragedy and the War of the Aesthetic 2000

  • Three major limitations are usually considered in the interpretation of functional proteomics datasets - (i) fidelity of the protein identification; (ii) proteins missed; and (iii) "contaminating" proteins found.

    PLoS ONE Alerts: New Articles Vincent Gache et al. 2010

  • The Lancet of "contaminating" science over its ban on the drug mephedrone, which it claims was imposed for political reasons.

    The First Post: Latest 2010

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