adulterate Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones
    load; stretch; dilute; debase.
    • adulterate liquor
  2. adjective satellite mixed with impurities
    adulterated; debased.

WordNet

A*dul"ter*ate transitive verb
Etymology
L. adulteratus, p. p. of adulterare, fr. adulter adulterer, prob. fr. ad + alter other, properly one who approaches another on account of unlawful love. Cf. Advoutry.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Adulterated present participle & verbal noun Adulterating
Definitions
  1. To defile by adultery. Obs. Milton.
  2. 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.
    Syn. -- To corrupt; defile; debase; contaminate; vitiate; sophisticate.
A*dul"ter*ate intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To commit adultery. Obs.
A*dul"ter*ate adjective
Definitions
  1. Tainted with adultery.
  2. Debased by the admixture of a foreign substance; adulterated; spurious. -- A*dul"ter*ate*ly, adv. -- A*dul"ter*ate*ness, n.

Webster 1913