DECONTAMINATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does decontaminate mean? 

• DECONTAMINATE (verb)
  The verb DECONTAMINATE has 1 sense:

1. rid of contamination

  Familiarity information: DECONTAMINATE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DECONTAMINATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they decontaminate    ... he / she / it decontaminates   
Past simple: decontaminated   
Past participle: decontaminated   
-ing form: decontaminating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Rid of contamination

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

The soil around the housing development had to be decontaminated by the city

Hypernyms (to "decontaminate" is one way to...):

clean; cleanse (clean one's body or parts thereof, as by washing)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Antonym:

contaminate (make radioactive by adding radioactive material)

Derivation:

decontamination (the removal of contaminants)

 Context examples 

Issue associated with the insufficient removal of unwanted visible soil, foreign material or organism deposits on the external surfaces, crevices, joints of a device by a mechanical and/or manual process intended to render the device sterile, safe for handling, and/or for further processes to decontaminate.

(Inadequate Medical Device Cleaning, Food and Drug Administration)

Issue associated with the undesired introduction of impurities to a device, or the insufficient removal of any visible soil, foreign material or organism deposits on the external surfaces, crevices, and joints of a device by a mechanical and/or manual process intended to render the device sterile, safe for handling, and/or for further processes to decontaminate.

(Cleaning Disinfecting or Sterilization Problem during Medical Device Use, Food and Drug Administration)