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Webster 1913 Edition
Adulterate
A-dul′ter-ate
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Adulterated
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Adulterating
.] [L.
adulteratus
, p. p. of adulterare
, fr. adulter
adulterer, prob. fr. ad
+ alter
other, properly one who approaches another on account of unlawful love. Cf. Advoutry
.] 1.
To defile by adultery.
[Obs.]
Milton.
2.
To corrupt, debase, or make impure by an admixture of a foreign or a baser substance;
as, to
adulterate
food, drink, drugs, coin, etc.The present war has . . .
adulterated
our tongue with strange words. Spectator.
Syn. – To corrupt; defile; debase; contaminate; vitiate; sophisticate.
A-dul′ter-ate
,Verb.
I.
To commit adultery.
[Obs.]
A-dul′ter-ate
,Adj.
1.
Tainted with adultery.
2.
Debased by the admixture of a foreign substance; adulterated; spurious.
– A-dul′ter-ate-ly
, adv.
A-dul′ter-ate-ness
, Noun.
Webster 1828 Edition
Adulterate
ADUL'TERATE
,Verb.
T.
To corrupt, debase, or make impure by an admixture of baser materials; as, to adulterate liquors, or the coin of a country.
ADUL'TERATE
,Verb.
I.
ADUL'TERATE
,Adj.
Definition 2024
adulterate
adulterate
English
Adjective
adulterate (comparative more adulterate, superlative most adulterate)
- Tending to commit adultery.
- 1594, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, I.v.
- Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast,
- With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts-
- O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power
- So to seduce!- won to his shameful lust
- The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen.
- 1594, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, I.v.
- Corrupted; impure; adulterated.
Verb
adulterate (third-person singular simple present adulterates, present participle adulterating, simple past and past participle adulterated)
- To corrupt.
- To spoil by adding impurities.
- to adulterate food, drink, drugs, coins, etc.
- Spectator
- The present war has […] adulterated our tongue with strange words.
- To commit adultery.
- To defile by adultery.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Milton to this entry?)
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
to corrupt
|
References
- “adulterate” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).
Italian
Verb
adulterate
- second-person plural present indicative of adulterare
- second-person plural imperative of adulterare
- feminine plural of adulterato