{
    "term": "pollute",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "pollute",
            "heSheIt": "pollutes"
        },
        "pastSimple": "polluted",
        "pastParticiple": "polluted",
        "ingForm": "polluting"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to add dirty or harmful substances to land, air, water, etc. so that it is no longer pleasant or safe to use",
            "sensetop": "pollute somethingpollute something by/with something",
            "labels": "(figurative)(especially British English)(especially North American English)(North American English)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "the exhaust fumes that are polluting our cities",
                    "contextForm": "pollute something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The river has been polluted with toxic waste from local factories.",
                    "contextForm": "pollute something by/with something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a society polluted by racism"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["The environment"]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈluːt/",
                "audio": "po/pollute/pollute__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈluːts/",
                "audio": "po/pollute/pollutes__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈluːtɪd/",
                "audio": "po/pollute/polluted__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈluːtɪŋ/",
                "audio": "po/pollute/polluting__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈluːt/",
                "audio": "po/pollute/pollute__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈluːts/",
                "audio": "po/pollute/pollutes__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈluːtɪd/",
                "audio": "po/pollute/polluted__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈluːtɪŋ/",
                "audio": "po/pollute/polluting__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English: from Latin pollut- ‘soiled, defiled’, from the verb polluere, based on the root of lutum ‘mud’."
}