English

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Etymology

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From pollute +‎ -ant.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /pəˈl(j)uːtənt/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

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pollutant (plural pollutants)

  1. A foreign substance that makes something dirty, or impure, especially waste from human activities.
    • 1987 January 20, “Airborne Pollutants”, in The New York Times[1], →ISSN:
      Acid rain forms when water in the atmosphere condenses on particles containing acid-forming pollutants, such as sulfate produced by the burning of fossil fuels and nitrogen oxides from automobile exhausts.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Further reading

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