pollutant
/pəˈluːtənt/ (bre, ipa) · /pəˈluːtənt/ (ame, ipa) · /pə-ˈlü-tᵊnt/ (ame, mw)
pollutant — noun
- pollutantsingular
- pollutantsplural
1. a material or kind of waste that makes air, water, or land dirty and harmful.
a material or kind of waste that makes air, water, or land dirty and harmful.
Smoke from the old buses was the town's worst air pollutant.
collocation: air pollutant
Tests found a dangerous pollutant near the factory drain after the storm.
Farmers stopped using the spray when it became a river pollutant.
Lead was once a common pollutant in paint sold for homes.
The report lists car exhaust as a major pollutant in Taipei.
- contaminant
broader; can be any unwanted substance in food, water, or another material
- toxin
more scientific and usually stresses poisonous effects on living things
- emission
often used for gas or particles released into the air by engines or factories
- waste
broader and less specific; does not always imply direct environmental harm
文法句型
a pollutant in [air/water/soil]
list/name something as a pollutant
用法筆記
Often paired with a word showing where the harm happens, such as air, water, river, or soil. More formal than everyday words like smoke or waste, and common in science, government, and news writing.