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IELTS word

contaminate

/kənˈtæməˌneɪt/verb

English definition

to make something dirty or unsafe

Common phrases / collocations

  1. contaminate water
  2. contaminate the soil
  3. become contaminated

Example sentences

  1. 1.

    Waste from the pipe contaminated the stream.

  2. 2.

    Oil from the factory contaminated the soil.

  3. 3.

    Food can become contaminated during transport.

Visual learning

See the meaning

A dark polluted plume from an old pipe spreads into a clear stream.
to make something dirty or unsafe
1clean stream
2unsafe water
clean water→pollution spreads