Hypertext Webster Gateway: "vitiate"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Vitiate \Vi"ti*ate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Vitiated}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Vitiating}.] [L. vitiatus, p. p. vitiare to vitiate,
fr. vitium a fault, vice. See {Vice} a fault.] [Written also
{viciate}.]
1. To make vicious, faulty, or imperfect; to render
defective; to injure the substance or qualities of; to
impair; to contaminate; to spoil; as, exaggeration
vitiates a style of writing; sewer gas vitiates the air.
A will vitiated and growth out of love with the
truth disposes the understanding to error and
delusion. --South.
Without care it may be used to vitiate our minds.
--Burke.
This undistinguishing complaisance will vitiate the
taste of readers. --Garth.
2. To cause to fail of effect, either wholly or in part; to
make void; to destroy, as the validity or binding force of
an instrument or transaction; to annul; as, any undue
influence exerted on a jury vitiates their verdict; fraud
vitiates a contract.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
vitiate
v 1: corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality; "debauch
the young people with wine and women" [syn: {corrupt}, {pervert},
{demoralize}, {demoralise}, {debauch}, {debase}, {profane},
{deprave}, {misdirect}]
2: make imperfect; "nothing marred her beauty" [syn: {mar}, {impair},
{spoil}, {deflower}]
3: take away the legal force of or render ineffective;
"invalidateas a contract" [syn: {invalidate}, {void}]
[ant: {validate}]
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