[f. L. contāmināt- ppl. stem of contāmināre to bring into contact, mingle, corrupt, defile, f. contāmen, -tāmin- (for contagmen) contact, infection, pollution, f. con- + tag- stem of tangĕre to touch.]
trans. To render impure by contact or mixture; to corrupt, defile, pollute, sully, taint, infect.
1526. Tonstall, Proclam., 23 Oct., in Foxe. Which truly … wyll contaminate and infect the flock … with most deadly poyson and heresie.
1601. Shaks., Jul. C., IV. iii. 24. Shall we now Contaminate our fingers with base bribes?
1671. J. Webster, Metallogr., viii. 124. Imperfect Metals infected or contaminated with terrestrial fœculency.
1764. Goldsm., Trav., 131. All evils here contaminate the mind.
1794. Sullivan, View Nat., I. 247. Air that is contaminated by respiration.
1838. T. Thomson, Chem. Org. Bodies, 383. The foreign substances, with which the indigo is always contaminated.
1877. Farrar, Days of Youth, xv. 141. Physical evil may crush, but moral evil can alone contaminate.
