Category:Adulterate

A*dul"ter*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Adulterated; p. pr. & vb. n Adulterating.] Etym: [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.]

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, v. i.

Defn: To commit adultery. [Obs.]

A*dul"ter*ate, a.

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.