Contamination

Pronunciation
/kon-tuh-MIN-ay-shun/
Category
General
Singular
Contaminant
Plural
Contaminants

Definition

The presence of unwanted substances or organisms in an environment, substance, or organism.

Etymology

From Latin *contaminare*, meaning 'to defile' or 'to soil'.

Example

Contamination of food can occur during processing due to the presence of bacteria.

Related Terms

  • Pollution
  • Microorganism