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Decontaminate: meaning, definitions and examples

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decontaminate

 

[ diːkənˈtæmɪneɪt ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

cleaning

To remove or neutralize harmful substances from an object or area, especially chemicals or radioactive material. Decontamination is crucial in preventing the spread of contamination.

Synonyms

cleanse, purify, sanitize

Examples of usage

  • Firefighters decontaminate their equipment after responding to a hazardous materials spill.
  • The hospital staff followed strict protocols to decontaminate the area affected by the chemical leak.

Translations

Translations of the word "decontaminate" in other languages:

🇵🇹 descontaminar

🇮🇳 अस्वच्छता हटाना

🇩🇪 dekontaminieren

🇮🇩 dekontaminasi

🇺🇦 деконтамінувати

🇵🇱 dekontaminować

🇯🇵 除染する

🇫🇷 décontaminer

🇪🇸 descontaminar

🇹🇷 dekontamine etmek

🇰🇷 오염 제거하다

🇸🇦 إزالة التلوث

🇨🇿 dekontaminovat

🇸🇰 dekontaminovať

🇨🇳 去污

🇸🇮 dekontaminirati

🇮🇸 afmengja

🇰🇿 деконтаминациялау

🇬🇪 დეკონტამინაცია

🇦🇿 dekontaminasiya

🇲🇽 descontaminar

Etymology

The word 'decontaminate' originated from the Latin word 'de-' (meaning 'remove') and 'contaminare' (meaning 'to make impure'). It first appeared in the English language in the early 20th century, during the rise of industrialization and the need to address hazardous materials. The process of decontamination has since become a critical aspect of environmental protection and public health safety measures.

See also: contaminate, contaminated, decontaminating.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #35,856, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.