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Webster 1913 Edition


Adulterate

A-dul′ter-ate

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Adulterated
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Adulterating
.]
[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

,
Verb.
I.
To commit adultery.
[Obs.]

A-dul′ter-ate

,
Adj.
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
,
Noun.

Webster 1828 Edition


Adulterate

ADUL'TERATE

,
Verb.
T.
[L. adultero, from adulter, mixed, or an adulterer; ad and alter, other.]
To corrupt, debase, or make impure by an admixture of baser materials; as, to adulterate liquors, or the coin of a country.

ADUL'TERATE

,
Verb.
I.
To commit adultery. Obs.

ADUL'TERATE

,
Adj.
Tainted with adultery; debased by foreign mixture.