What does "adulterate" mean?
Adulterate: 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.
Additional senses
- 2.To commit adultery. [Obs.]
- 3.Tainted with adultery.
- 4.Debased by the admixture of a foreign substance; adulterated; spurious. -- A*dul"ter*ate*ly, adv. -- A*dul"ter*ate*ness, n.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00