释义 |
adul·ter·ate I. \əˈdəltəˌrāt, usu -ād.+V\ verb (-ed/-ing/-s) Etymology: Latin adulteratus, past participle of adulterare to pollute, defile, commit adultery, from ad- + -ulterare (from alter different, other) — more at else transitive verb 1. a. : to corrupt, debase, or make impure by the addition of a foreign or a baser substance : prepare (as for sale) with one or more ingredients included that are not part of the alleged substance < adulterated food > b. : to alter or treat (as an article) especially deceptively in order to give a false value or to hide defects through some method or process not involving the addition of a spurious substance: (1) : to remove a valuable or necessary ingredient from < adulterating milk by removing the cream > (2) : to sell (a commodity) under the name of another commodity (3) : to offer as acceptable (what is in reality diseased, infected, or tainted) (4) : to conceal artificially the defects of (5) : to cause to simulate a better article 2. : to lessen the full intensity of (as a state of happiness) through the addition of extraneous, incongruous, or discordant elements or through the removal of a vital element : lessen the purity of : make spurious intransitive verb obsolete : to commit adultery II. \-ltərə̇t, -l.trə̇t, -ltəˌrāt\ adjective Etymology: Latin adulteratus 1. : tainted with adultery : adulterous < a perverse and adulterate generation — H.M.Jones > 2. : adulterated, spurious |