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pollute Definition

pol·lute (pə lo̵̅o̅t′)

transitive verb -·lut′ed, -·lut′·ing

  1. to make unclean, impure, or corrupt; defile; dirty
  2. 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

pol·lut′er noun pol·lu′·tion noun

pollute Synonyms

pollute

v.

contaminate, dirty, befoul, defile; see contaminate, dirty, poison. See syn. study at contaminate.

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.