— polluter , n. — pollutive , adj.
/peuh looht"/ , v.t., polluted, polluting .
1. to make foul or unclean, esp. with harmful chemical or waste products; dirty: to pollute the air with smoke.
2. to make morally unclean; defile.
3. to render ceremonially impure; desecrate: to pollute a house of worship.
4. Informal. to render less effective or efficient: The use of inferior equipment has polluted the company's service.
[ 1325-75; ME polute pollutus ptp. of polluere to soil, defile, equiv. to pol-, assimilated var. of por- (see POLLICITATION; here marking the action as complete) + -lu- base of -luere (akin to lutum mud, dirt, lustrum muddy place) + -tus ptp. suffix ]
Syn. 1. soil, befoul. 2. taint, contaminate, vitiate, corrupt, debase, deprave.
Ant. 1, 2. purify.