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Webster 1913 Edition

Defile

De-file′

(dē̍-fīl′)
,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Defiled
(dē̍-fīld′)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Defiling
.]
[F.
défiler
; pref.
dé-
, for
des-
(L.
dis-
) +
file
a row or line. See
File
a row.]
To march off in a line, file by file; to file off.

De-file′

,
Verb.
T.
(Mil.)
Same as
Defilade
.

De-file′

(dē̍-fīl′ or dē′fīl; 277)
,
Noun.
[Cf. F.
défilé
, fr.
défiler
to defile.]
1.
Any narrow passage or gorge in which troops can march only in a file, or with a narrow front; a long, narrow pass between hills, rocks, etc.
2.
(Mil.)
The act of defilading a fortress, or of raising the exterior works in order to protect the interior. See
Defilade
.

De-file′

(dē̍-fīl′)
,
Verb.
T.
[OE.
defoulen
,
-foilen
, to tread down, OF.
defouler
;
de-
+
fouler
to trample (see
Full
,
Verb.
T.
), and OE.
defoulen
to foul (influenced in form by the older verb
defoilen
). See
File
to defile,
Foul
,
Defoul
.]
1.
To make foul or impure; to make filthy; to dirty; to befoul; to pollute.
They that touch pitch will be
defiled
.
Shakespeare
2.
To soil or sully; to tarnish, as reputation; to taint.
He is . . . among the greatest prelates of this age, however his character may be
defiled
by . . . dirty hands.
Swift.
3.
To injure in purity of character; to corrupt.
Defile
not yourselves with the idols of Egypt.
Ezek. xx. 7.
4.
To corrupt the chastity of; to debauch; to violate; to rape.
The husband murder’d and the wife
defiled
.
Prior.
5.
To make ceremonially unclean; to pollute.
That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to
defile
therewith.
Lev. xxii. 8.

Webster 1828 Edition

Defile

DEFILE

, v.t.
1.
To make unclean; to render foul or dirty; in a general sense.
2.
To make impure; to render turbid; as, the water or liquor is defiled.
3.
To soil or sully; to tarnish; as reputation, &c.
He is among the greatest prelates of the age, however his character may be defiled by dirty hands.
They shall defile thy brightness. Ezek. 28.
4.
To pollute; to make ceremonially unclean.
That which dieth of itself, he shall not eat, to defile himself therewith. Lev. 22.
5.
To corrupt chastity; to debauch; to violate; to tarnish the purity of character by lewdness.
Schechem defiled Dinah. Gen. 34.
6.
To taint, in a moral sense; to corrupt; to vitiate; to render impure with sin.
Defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt. Ezek. 20.
He hath defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. Numb. 19.

DEFILE

,
Verb.
I.
[L. A thread.] To march off in a line, or file by file; to file off.

DEFILE

,
Noun.
A narrow passage or way, in which troops may march only in a file, or with a narrow front; a long narrow pass, as between hills, &c.

Definition 2024

defile

defile

See also: defilé, défile, défilé, and defilè

English

Verb

defile ‎(third-person singular simple present defiles, present participle defiling, simple past and past participle defiled)

  1. (transitive) to make impure; to make dirty.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Translations

Etymology 2

Earlier defilee, from French défilé, from défiler ‎(“to march past”), from file ‎(“file”).

Noun

defile ‎(plural defiles)

  1. A narrow way or passage, e.g. between mountains.
  2. A single file, such as of soldiers.
  3. The act of defilading a fortress, or of raising the exterior works in order to protect the interior.
Translations
See also

Verb

defile ‎(third-person singular simple present defiles, present participle defiling, simple past and past participle defiled)

  1. (archaic, intransitive) To march in a single file.
    • 1979, Cormac McCarthy, Suttree, Random House, p.138:
      They defiled down a gully to the water and bunched and jerked their noses at it and came back.
Translations

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From French défilé.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /defǐleː/
  • Hyphenation: de‧fi‧le

Noun

defìlē m ‎(Cyrillic spelling дефѝле̄)

  1. march-past

Declension

References

  • “defile” in Hrvatski jezični portal

Etymology

From Middle English defilen ‎(“to make dirty”), alteration (due to Middle English defoulen, defoilen ‎(“to trample, abuse”)) of Middle English befilen ‎(“to defile, make foul”), from Old English befȳlan ‎(“to befoul, defile”), from Proto-Germanic *bi- + *fūlijaną ‎(“to defile, make filthy”). Cognate with Dutch bevuilen ‎(“to defile, soil”). More at be-, file, foul.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /dɪˈfaɪl/
  • Rhymes: -aɪl

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