contamination

noun con·tam·i·na·tion \ kən-ˌta-mə-ˈnā-shən \

Updated on: 20 May 2018

Definition of contamination

1 : a process of contaminating : a state of being contaminated

2 : contaminant

Examples of contamination in a Sentence

swimming in the lake is banned until the contamination is identified and neutralized

Recent Examples of contamination from the Web

This week's death is the first linked to the E. coli contamination.

— leada gore, AL.com, "Romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak: 1 death reported; illness spreads to 3 more states," 2 May 2018
The company that owns Birds Eye, Duncan Hines and Vlasic brands is recalling close to 32,500 pounds of dried beef due to possible contamination.

— zlati meyer, USA TODAY, "Pinnacle Foods chipped beef recalled nationwide by USDA for possible toxin contamination," 30 Apr. 2018
The ground then becomes infected with parasites and disease, leading to environmental contamination that spreads to the people who live in the county.

— michael harriot, The Root, "Lowndes County, Ala.: The Place God Forgot," 27 Apr. 2018
In a new paper that’s causing some buzz, Daniel McKinsey, a physicist at the University of California, Berkeley, contends that the signal could come from argon contamination.

— natalie wolchover, WIRED, "Trouble Detected in Infamous Dark Matter Signal," 18 Apr. 2018
In addition to the symptoms reported by the Colombian locals, people suffering from oil contamination can experience respiratory issues, skin rashes, fatigue, and seemingly undiagnosed illnesses lasting months or years.

— elaina zachos, National Geographic, "Oil Spill Kills More Than 2,400 Animals," 30 Mar. 2018
In 2000, the state ordered the destruction of even healthy citrus trees within 1,900 feet of an infected tree, in a last-ditch attempt to battle contamination.

— kelly healey, ajc, "Florida homeowners to split more than $52M after citrus canker battle," 19 Mar. 2018
But that method of feeding young leaves the milk susceptible to contamination by dangerous environmental bacterias, researchers said.

— jared gilmour, miamiherald, "Platypuses sweat milk from their bellies — and it could help save us from superbugs, scientists say | Miami Herald," 16 Mar. 2018
The leafy site in Franklin Village is one of as many as 4,000 similar sites around the state where toxic fumes may be seeping into buildings and basements from underground contamination, state officials have said.

— bill laitner, Detroit Free Press, "In upscale Franklin and statewide, toxic vapors from underground pose health threats," 7 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'contamination.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of contamination

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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contamination Synonyms

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Medical Dictionary

contamination

noun con·tam·i·na·tion \ kən-ˌtam-ə-ˈnā-shən \

medical Definition of contamination

1 : a process of contaminating : a state of being contaminated

2 : something that contaminates

Learn More about contamination

See words that rhyme with contamination Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for contamination Spanish Central: Translation of contamination Nglish: Translation of contamination for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of contamination for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about contamination

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contamination

Definition of contamination

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contamination Synonyms

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contamination

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