contaminate

/kən-ˈta-mə-ˌnāt/

Middle English contaminaten, borrowed from Latin contāminātus, past participle of contāmināre "to defile, pollute," from con- com--tāmināre, verbal derivative of *tāmen "touching, contact," going back to *tāg-(s)men, from tag-, variant stem of tangere "to touch" + *-(s)men, noun suffix of result

verb

  1. to soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association

  2. to make inferior or impure by admixture

  3. to make unfit for use by the introduction of unwholesome or undesirable elements

Bacteria contaminated the wound.

iron contaminated with phosphorus

contaminate taint pollute defile mean to make impure or unclean. contaminate implies intrusion of or contact with dirt or foulness from an outside source. taint stresses the loss of purity or cleanliness that follows contamination.

noun

  1. inadvertent transfer of bacteria or other contaminants from one surface, substance, etc., to another especially because of unsanitary handling procedures

With raw eggs, as with raw chickens, it is important to avoid cross contamination. Use separate utensils—bowls, forks, knives, counter tops, and cutting boards—for raw chickens or eggs, and clean them thoroughly before reusing them for cooked foods.