adulterate

[US]/əˈdʌltəreɪt/
[UK]/əˈdʌltəreɪt/
Frequency: Very High

Translation

vt. tamper with, especially by adding something inferior; make impure
adj. mixed with something of inferior quality; not pure
n. the act of adulterating

Phrases & Collocations

adulterated products

to adulterate food

Example Sentences

adulterate milk with water

doctor the soup with a dash of sherry.See Synonyms at adulterate

milk adulterated with water

adulterate coffee with ground acorns;

A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analytical method for three anorectics drugs, fenfluramine, diethylpropion and mazindol, illegally adulterated in slimming foods has been developed.

Real-world Examples

Cost can also—but not always—be associated with how the water is adulterated.

Source: Intermediate and advanced English short essay.

Usually, however, adulterated means that something was actually added to the product, to the food or the drink.

Source: 2012 ESLPod

Nations have sometimes, for the same purpose, adulterated the standard of their coin; that is, have mixed a greater quantity of alloy in it.

Source: The Wealth of Nations (Part Five)

But that adulteration tends to happen towards the end. The question we were trying to answer is, why are drug dealers putting fentanyl in everything?

Source: That's bad, thank you for your concern.

And I think that really pertained to, you know, kind of, the new world styles of Chardonnay you know, adulterate it with, you know, wood, so they come off very vanilla-y, a cinnamon, very toasty and slightly kind of ripe.

Source: Connection Magazine

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