Third-person singular present tense of contaminate; to make something unclean or impure by introducing unwanted substances or agents.
From Latin contaminare (to defile, make unclean), composed of con- (together, thoroughly) and taminare (possibly related to tangere, to touch), suggesting corruption through contact or mixing.
One infected person can contaminate an entire food supply before anyone realizes it—which is why food manufacturers test products millions of times, because contamination spreads faster than we can see it.
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