From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
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.
[1913 Webster]
A will vitiated and growth out of love with the
truth disposes the understanding to error and
delusion. --South.
[1913 Webster]
Without care it may be used to vitiate our minds.
--Burke.
[1913 Webster]
This undistinguishing complaisance will vitiate the
taste of readers. --Garth.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
vitiate
v 1: corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality; "debauch
the young people with wine and women"; "Socrates was
accused of corrupting young men"; "Do school counselors
subvert young children?"; "corrupt the morals" [syn:
{corrupt}, {pervert}, {subvert}, {demoralize},
{demoralise}, {debauch}, {debase}, {profane}, {vitiate},
{deprave}, {misdirect}]
2: make imperfect; "nothing marred her beauty" [syn: {mar},
{impair}, {spoil}, {deflower}, {vitiate}]
3: take away the legal force of or render ineffective;
"invalidate a contract" [syn: {invalidate}, {void},
{vitiate}] [ant: {validate}]
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