contaminate: [15] Contaminate appears to come from the same ultimate source as contact, a base *tag- ‘touch’, which produced the Latin verb tangere ‘touch’ (whence English tactile, tangent, and tangible). It seems also to have formed the basis of a compound Latin noun *contagmen ‘contact, pollution’, which became altered to contāmen. From this was derived the verb contamināre, whose past participle gave English contaminate. => contact, tactile, tangible
contaminate (v.)
early 15c., from Old French contaminer, from Latin contaminatus, past participle of contaminare "to defile," from contamen "contact, pollution," from com- "together" (see com-) + *tag-, base of tangere "to touch" (see tangent (adj.)). Related: Contaminant (1934); contaminable.
双语例句
1. One secret military unit tried to contaminate the drinking water of the refugees.
一个秘密军事分队企图污染难民的饮用水。
来自柯林斯例句
2. All over the world, oil spills regularly contaminate coasts.
在世界各地，油溢出物经常污染着海岸。
来自辞典例句
3. The sources of organisms that may contaminate the wound are numerous.
可以沾染伤口的细菌来源是很多的.
来自辞典例句
4. White cells contaminate the red cell and platelet components.
白细胞会“污染”红细胞和血小板制品.
来自互联网
5. Dispose of that nulear waste properly or it will contaminate the groundwater.
