What does "contaminant" mean?

That which contaminates; an impurity; foreign matter.

How do you pronounce "contaminant"?

Pronounced //kənˈtamɪnənt//.

Contaminant

Q: What is a synonym for "contaminant"?

Common synonyms include: adulterant, adulterants, befouling, contaminant organism, contaminating, contaminating organism.

/kənˈtamɪnənt/ noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
That which contaminates; an impurity; foreign matter.
"Put the lid on the jar to keep contaminants out."
2
a substance that contaminates wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

adulterant adulterants befouling contaminant organism contaminating contaminating organism

Antonyms

All antonyms

detersive benign substance clean culture cleaning agent

Example

More examples

"Arsenic, a known carcinogen, is a contaminant that comes in two forms: organic and inorganic. Organic arsenic occurs naturally in the soil and water. Inorganic arsenic comes mainly from commercial fertilizers and pesticides used in agriculture."

Etymology

Borrowed from French contaminant, present participle of contaminer (“to contaminate”), from Latin contāmināre. By surface analysis, contaminate + -ant.

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