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pollute

Pronunciation: /pəˈluːt/

Translate pollute | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of pollute

verb

[with object]
  • contaminate (water, the air, etc.) with harmful or poisonous substances:the explosion polluted the town with dioxin (as adjective polluted)the Mersey is one of Europe’s most polluted rivers
  • defile or corrupt:a society polluted by racism

Derivatives

polluter

noun

Origin:

late Middle English: from Latin pollut- 'soiled, defiled', from the verb polluere, based on the root of lutum 'mud'

pollute in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of pollute in the US English dictionary

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