Decontaminate

Pronunciation: /diːkənˈtæməˌneɪt/

Definitions of decontaminate

verb to remove or neutralize harmful substances or impurities from something

Example Sentences

A1 I need to decontaminate my hands before eating.

A2 The firefighters had to decontaminate their gear after the chemical spill.

B1 The hospital staff had to decontaminate the room after treating a patient with a contagious disease.

B2 The environmental team was called in to decontaminate the area affected by the toxic waste spill.

C1 Specialized equipment is used to decontaminate radioactive material in nuclear facilities.

C2 The decontamination process involves thorough cleaning and sterilization to ensure safety in the laboratory.

Examples of decontaminate in a Sentence

formal The laboratory technician followed strict protocols to decontaminate the equipment after each use.

informal Make sure to decontaminate your hands before touching anything in the lab.

slang I heard they had to decontaminate the whole area after that wild party.

figurative She felt the need to decontaminate her mind from negative thoughts.

Grammatical Forms of decontaminate

• past tense: decontaminated
• plural: decontaminate
• comparative: more decontaminated
• superlative: most decontaminated
• present tense: decontaminates
• future tense: will decontaminate
• perfect tense: has decontaminated
• continuous tense: is decontaminating
• singular: decontaminates
• positive degree: decontaminate
• infinitive: to decontaminate
• gerund: decontaminating
• participle: decontaminating

Origin and Evolution of decontaminate

First Known Use: 1920 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'decontaminate' originated from the Latin word 'de-' meaning 'remove' and 'contaminare' meaning 'to make impure'.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in the early 20th century specifically in the context of removing impurities or harmful substances from a place or object. Over time, the word has become more commonly used in the fields of medicine, environmental science, and disaster response to refer to the process of removing hazardous materials or pollutants to ensure safety and cleanliness.