contamination — the action or state of making or being made impure by polluting or poisoning
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: the action or state of making or being made impure by polluting or poisoning
Pronunciation (IPA): /kənˌtæməˈneɪʃən/
Example Sentences
- The chef wore gloves to prevent contamination, but ironically contaminated his reputation by posting cooking videos with dirty fingernails.
- The laboratory follows strict protocols to avoid sample contamination.
- My phone suffered severe contamination after I dropped it in a bowl of kimchi jjigae.
contamination
NOUN[/kənˌtæməˈneɪʃən/]
the action or state of making or being made impure by polluting or poisoning
A factory pipe leaks dark sludge into the river, causing serious contamination downstream.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Latin 'contaminatus', the past participle of 'contaminare', which combines 'con-' (together) and 'tangere' (to touch), literally meaning 'to soil or defile by contact'. The term originally expressed the process of something clean becoming polluted through contact with something unclean.
Breakdown
con- (together) + tamin- (from Latin tangere, to touch) + -ation (noun-forming suffix indicating the process or result of an action).
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The chef wore gloves to prevent contamination, but ironically contaminated his reputation by posting cooking videos with dirty fingernails.”
“The laboratory follows strict protocols to avoid sample contamination.”
“My phone suffered severe contamination after I dropped it in a bowl of kimchi jjigae.”
“Environmental contamination from mining activities threatens local wildlife.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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