Pollution
[pə'luːʃ(ə)n] or [pə'luʃən]
Definition
(noun.) undesirable state of the natural environment being contaminated with harmful substances as a consequence of human activities.
Checked by Debbie--From WordNet
Definition
(n.) The act of polluting, or the state of being polluted (in any sense of the verb); defilement; uncleanness; impurity.
(n.) The emission of semen, or sperm, at other times than in sexual intercourse.
Edited by Kitty
Synonyms and Synonymous
n. Defilement, contamination, foulness, taint, impurity, uncleanness, abomination.
Checked by Andrew
Examples
- Again, the arms of Hellenes should not be offered up in the temples of the Gods; they are a pollution, for they are taken from brethren. Plato. The Republic.
- The gardens are hidden by high mud-walls, and the paradise is become a very sink of pollution and uncomeliness. Mark Twain. The Innocents Abroad.
- This piece of pollution, picked up from the water-side, to be made much of for an hour, and then tossed back to her original place! Charles Dickens. David Copperfield.
- Everything in the past seemed simple, natural, full of daylight--and she was alone in a place of darkness and pollution. Edith Wharton. The House of Mirth.
- I am fresh from my holy office, and would avoid pollution. Walter Scott. Ivanhoe.
Edited by Dinah