Definitions of defile [ɪˈfaɪl, ˈdi faɪl]

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Definition of 'defile'

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

1. (v.t.) defile
to make foul, dirty, or unclean.

2.  defile
to violate the chastity of.

3.  defile
to desecrate.

4.  defile
to sully, as a person's reputation.

5. (n.) defile
a narrow passage, esp. between mountains.

6. (v.i.) defile
to march in a line or by files.

Etymology: (1675–85; < F défilé, n. use of ptp. of défiler to file off; see defilade)

Definition of 'defile'

Princeton's WordNet

1. (verb) defile, gorge
a narrow pass (especially one between mountains)

2. (verb) defile, sully, corrupt, taint, cloud
place under suspicion or cast doubt upon
"sully someone's reputation"

3. (verb) tarnish, stain, maculate, sully, defile
make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically
"The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air"; "Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man"

4. (verb) foul, befoul, defile, maculate
spot, stain, or pollute
"The townspeople defiled the river by emptying raw sewage into it"

Definition of 'defile'

Webster Dictionary

1. (noun) defile
any narrow passage or gorge in which troops can march only in a file, or with a narrow front; a long, narrow pass between hills, rocks, etc

2. (noun) defile
the act of defilading a fortress, or of raising the exterior works in order to protect the interior. See Defilade

3. (verb) defile
to march off in a line, file by file; to file off

4. (verb) defile
same as Defilade

5. (verb) defile
to make foul or impure; to make filthy; to dirty; to befoul; to pollute

6. (verb) defile
to soil or sully; to tarnish, as reputation; to taint

7. (verb) defile
to injure in purity of character; to corrupt

8. (verb) defile
to corrupt the chastity of; to debauch; to violate

9. (verb) defile
to make ceremonially unclean; to pollute

'defile' - Nearby Entries
deficit spending defilade defile defiled defilement defiler definable

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