/keuhn tam'euh nay"sheuhn/ , n.
1. the act of contaminating.
2. the state of being contaminated.
3. something that contaminates.
4. Ling.
a. an alternation in a linguistic form due to the influence of a related form, as the replacement in English of earlier femelle with female through the influence of male.
b. the process of forming blends. Cf. blend (def. 9).
[ 1375-1425; late ME contaminacioun contamination- (s. of contaminatio ), equiv. to contaminat ( us ) (see CONTAMINATE) + -ion- -ION ]