contaminant
gb/kəntˈæmənənt/ us/kəntˈæmənənt/
B2
English
~ 8600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
harmful or unwanted impurity
A substance that makes water, air, food, or another thing dirty, unsafe, or not pure.
Usage pattern:
a contaminant in [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'contaminant' (a substance) with 'contamination' (the state of being dirty or unsafe) or 'contaminate' (the verb). For example, say 'The water contains a contaminant' (not 'The water contains a contamination') and 'The chemicals contaminate the river' (not 'The chemicals contaminant the river'). Learners also sometimes use it as an adjective, e.g. 'contaminant water'; instead say 'contaminated water' or 'water with contaminants'.
Synonyms
pollutant (Often used for substances that harm the environment, especially air and water; slightly more specific to pollution than 'contaminant'.)
|
impurity (More general and not always harmful; used when something is not perfectly pure, even if it is still safe.)
Antonyms
purifier (A device or substance that removes contaminants and makes something clean or pure, which is the opposite role of a contaminant.)
Collocations
chemical contaminant
|environmental contaminant
|water contaminant
|food contaminant
|airborne contaminant
|remove contaminants
Themes
science
|health
|environment
|food
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The lab found a dangerous contaminant in the town’s drinking water.
- Food companies must test their products for any bacterial contaminants before shipping them.
- The filter is designed to trap dust and other airborne contaminants.
- Lead is a common contaminant in old plumbing systems.
- Strict rules limit the amount of chemical contaminants released into the river.
Learner examples
- The doctor said there was a contaminant in the blood sample.
- This mask helps protect you from contaminants in the air.
- The company removed the contaminant from the water before selling it.
- Scientists tested the soil for contaminants after the oil spill.
Grammar
Dictionary form
contaminant
IPA
GB/kəntˈæmənənt/
US/kəntˈæmənənt/
Syllables & stress
con - tam - in - ant (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (tam)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: contaminant
- Plural: contaminants
Word family
Forms
contaminants
noun
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
uncontaminated
adjective
decontaminate
verb
decontamination
noun
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.