defile
/di-ˈfī(-ə)l/
verb
to make unclean or impure: such as
to corrupt the purity or perfection of : debase
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
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
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 …