pollute Definition
pol·lute (pə lo̵̅o̅t′)
transitive verb -·lut′ed, -·lut′·ing
- to make unclean, impure, or corrupt; defile; dirty
- to contaminate (water, air, etc.) with harmful chemicals, waste material, etc.
Etymology: ME poluten < L pollutus, pp. of polluere, to pollute < *por-, for per-, intens. + -luere, to soil < IE base *leu-, dirt > Gr lyma, dirt
pollute Related Forms
pollute Synonyms
pollute
v.
pollute Usage Examples
Object
- waterway: Remember it is an offense to pollute the waterways.
- watercourse: They have no idea of the fact they are polluting watercourses.
- groundwater: By burying human waste, there is also an increased risk of polluting the groundwater.
- incinerator: In 1995 he spearheaded a successful campaign to close a highly polluting incinerator in his locality.
- namespace: Part of the common law contract is that a module doesn't pollute any namespace it wasn't asked to.
- atmosphere: Over the following years these emission limits will be lowered to further encourage the driving of cars which pollute the atmosphere less.
Noun phrase with adjective complement
such: More than half of emissions of polluting agents such as nitrogen oxides or carbon monoxide come from road transport vehicles.
Adjective complement
- less: Local farmers will produce energy crops to fuel the plant, which will pollute less than the current system.
- effluent: Polluting effluent from the company's effluent treatment plant was found to be escaping from the site.
Modifying Another Word
- potentially: A wide range of potentially polluting industries will now be required to apply for " Permits " to operate.
- heavily: At Zurich airport the most heavily polluting planes are charged.
- highly: There are plans to dam all the major glacial rivers of Iceland to generate power for highly polluting heavy industry.
- seriously: Intensive use of pesticides and fertilizers seriously pollutes water, soil and air.
- not: Do not pollute country streams with waste food, empty cans or bottles.
- n't: Well, yes... reduce the number of cars, and try and use cars which do n't pollute.
Used with why or when
what: Why, exactly, do we play these matches and opt to pollute what would otherwise be two good weeks of domestic season?
Preposition: than
- fuel: It is also much less polluting than fossil fuels.
- car: Small cars are necessary because they pollute less than big cars.
- vehicle: Even after counting emissions from power plants, ZAP electric vehicles are 90 percent less polluting than gas vehicles.
- sewage: Cattle slurry is 200 times more polluting than human sewage.
Browse dictionary entries near pollute
- ‹ pollutant
- ‹ pollster
- ‹ Pollock, (Paul) Jackson
- ‹ pollock
- ‹ polliwog
- ‹ pollinosis
- ‹ pollinize
- ‹ pollinium
- ‹ polliniferous
- ‹ polling the jury
- polluted ›
- pollution ›
- Pollux ›
- Polly ›
- Pollyanna ›
- polo ›
- polo coat ›
- Polo, Marco ›
- polo shirt ›
- polonaise ›

