What is the meaning of defile?

noun

  • A narrow pass (especially one between mountains.

verb

  • Place under suspicion or cast doubt upon.
    • usage: "sully someone's reputation"
  • Make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically.
    • usage: "The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air"; "Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man"
  • Spot, stain, or pollute.
    • usage: "The townspeople defiled the river by emptying raw sewage into it"
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APAWordNet. (2010). defile. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/defile/definitions/1226789
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "defile" http://smartdefine.org/defile/definitions/1226789 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, defile, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/defile/definitions/1226789>.
MLAWordNet. "defile" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/defile/definitions/1226789>
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