a. [ L. adultus, p. p. of adolescere, akin to alere to nourish: cf. F. adulte. See Adolescent, Old. ] Having arrived at maturity, or to full size and strength; matured; as, an adult person or plant; an adult ape; an adult age. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A person, animal, or plant grown to full size and strength; one who has reached maturity. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In the common law, the term is applied to a person who has attained full age or legal majority; in the civil law, to males after the age of fourteen, and to females after twelve. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ L. adulterare. ] To commit adultery; to pollute. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. adulterans, p. pr. of adulterare. ] That which is used to adulterate anything. -- a. Adulterating; as, adulterant agents and processes. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Adulterated p. pr. & vb. n. Adulterating ] [ L. adulteratus, p. p. of adulterare, fr. adulter adulterer, prob. fr. ad + alter other, properly one who approaches another on account of unlawful love. Cf. Advoutry. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To defile by adultery. [ Obs. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To corrupt, debase, or make impure by an admixture of a foreign or a baser substance; as, to adulterate food, drink, drugs, coin, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

The present war has . . . adulterated our tongue with strange words. Spectator. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To corrupt; defile; debase; contaminate; vitiate; sophisticate. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To commit adultery. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Tainted with adultery. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Debased by the admixture of a foreign substance; adulterated; spurious. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- A*dul"ter*ate*ly, adv. -- A*dul"ter*ate*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. having been made impure by addition of inferior ingredients; -- said of substances or foods used ususally of articles of commerce, dulted with less costly materials so as to enhance profit; -- usually imlying that the dilution is surreptitious and unethical
Syn. -- adulterate, debased [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. making impure or corrupt by virtue of extraneous origin; -- of impurities. the adulterating effect of extraneous materials purifying
Syn. -- adulterant [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. making impure or corrupt by adding extraneous materials; -- of people.
Syn. -- adulterant. [ PJC ]

n. [ L. adulteratio. ] 1. The act of adulterating; corruption, or debasement (esp. of food or drink) by foreign mixture. [ 1913 Webster ]

The shameless adulteration of the coin. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An adulterated state or product. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ] One who adulterates or corrupts. [ R. ] Cudworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Formed fr. the verb adulter, with the E. ending -er. See Advoutrer. ] 1. A man who commits adultery; a married man who has sexual intercourse with a woman not his wife. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Script.) A man who violates his religious covenant. Jer. ix. 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Fem. from L. adulter. Cf. Advoutress. ] 1. A woman who commits adultery. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Script.) A woman who violates her religious engagements. James iv. 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. adulterinus, fr. adulter. ] Proceeding from adulterous intercourse. Hence: Spurious; without the support of law; illegal. [ 1913 Webster ]

When any particular class of artificers or traders thought proper to act as a corporation without a charter, such were called adulterine guilds. Adam Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An illegitimate child. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To commit adultery. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Guilty of, or given to, adultery; pertaining to adultery; illicit. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Characterized by adulteration; spurious. “An adulterous mixture.” [ Obs. ] Smollett. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an adulterous manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Adulteries [ L. adulterium. See Advoutry. ] 1. The unfaithfulness of a married person to the marriage bed; sexual intercourse by a married man with another than his wife, or voluntary sexual intercourse by a married woman with another than her husband. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ It is adultery on the part of the married wrongdoer. The word has also been used to characterize the act of an unmarried participator, the other being married. In the United States the definition varies with the local statutes. Unlawful intercourse between two married persons is sometimes called double adultery; between a married and an unmarried person, single adultery. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Adulteration; corruption. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Script.) (a) Lewdness or unchastity of thought as well as act, as forbidden by the seventh commandment. (b) Faithlessness in religion. Jer. iii. 9. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Old Law) The fine and penalty imposed for the offense of adultery. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Eccl.) The intrusion of a person into a bishopric during the life of the bishop. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Injury; degradation; ruin. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

You might wrest the caduceus out of my hand to the adultery and spoil of nature. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being adult. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not adult; immature. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Not adulterated; pure. “Unadulterate air.” Cowper. -- Un`a*dul"ter*ate*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]