defile Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a narrow pass (especially one between mountains)
    gorge.
  2. verb place under suspicion or cast doubt upon
    sully; corrupt; taint; cloud.
    • sully someone's reputation
  3. verb make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically
    tarnish; sully; stain; maculate.
    • The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air
    • Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man
  4. verb spot, stain, or pollute
    maculate; befoul; foul.
    • The townspeople defiled the river by emptying raw sewage into it

WordNet

De*file" intransitive verb
Etymology
F. défiler; pref. dé-, for des- (L. dis-) + file a row or line. See File a row.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Defiled ; present participle & verbal noun Defiling
Definitions
  1. To march off in a line, file by file; to file off.
De*file" transitive verb
Definitions
  1. (Mil.) Same as Defilade.
De*file" noun
Etymology
Cf. F. défilé, fr. défiler to defile.
Definitions
  1. Any narrow passage or gorge in which troops can march only in a file, or with a narrow front; a long, narrow pass between hills, rocks, etc.
  2. (Mil.) The act of defilading a fortress, or of raising the exterior works in order to protect the interior. See Defilade.
De*file" transitive verb
Etymology
OE. defoulen, -foilen, to tread down, OF. defouler; de- + fouler to trample (see Full, v. t.), and OE. defoulen to foul (influenced in form by the older verb defoilen). See File to defile, Foul, Defoul.
Definitions
  1. To make foul or impure; to make filthy; to dirty; to befoul; to pollute.
    They that touch pitch will be defiled. Shak.
  2. To soil or sully; to tarnish, as reputation; to taint.
    He is . . . among the greatest prelates of this age, however his character may be defiled by . . . dirty hands. Swift.
  3. To injure in purity of character; to corrupt.
    Defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt. Ezek. xx. 7.
  4. To corrupt the chastity of; to debauch; to violate.
    The husband murder'd and the wife defiled. Prior.
  5. To make ceremonially unclean; to pollute.
    That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile therewith. Lev. xxii. 8.

Webster 1913