defile

/di-ˈfī(-ə)l/

Middle English, alteration (influenced by filen to defile, from Old English fȳlan) of defoilen to trample, defile, from Anglo-French defoiller, defuler, to trample, from de- + fuller, foller to trample, literally, to full

verb

  1. to make unclean or impure: such as

  2. to corrupt the purity or perfection of : debase

  3. to violate the chastity or virginity of : deflower

the countryside defiled by billboards

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. a narrow passage (as between hills, rocks, or cliffs) : gorge

… come to us from a narrow defile in the Pennine Alps between Switzerland and Italy, a place called the Great St. Bernard Pass.

verb

  1. to march off in a line

… breaks out into a brave and glorious description of the forces, as they defiled through the principal gate of the city …