defile
defile Lexical Profile
defile Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To spoil, sully, or corrupt the purity, cleanliness, or natural beauty of something.
"Industrial runoff continued to defile the once-pristine mountain stream."
To desecrate or profane something regarded as sacred, holy, or worthy of deep respect.
"Ancient laws imposed strict penalties on anyone who dared to defile the temple sanctuary."
To march or walk off in a narrow line or single file.
"The ceremonial guard began to defile slowly through the narrow stone archway."
• noun
A steep-sided, narrow gorge or mountain pass through which people or troops can march only in a narrow column or single file.
"The expedition guided their pack mules carefully through the rocky defile between the towering cliffs."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Defile' represents two etymologically distinct words: the common transitive verb meaning 'to pollute or desecrate' and the formal geographical or military term for 'a narrow gorge' or 'to march in single file.'
• Rhymes for defile
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The verb meaning 'to make foul' comes from Middle English defoulen (from Old French defouler, 'to trample down'), altered under the influence of the native English verb file ('to pollute,' related to foul). The noun meaning 'narrow pass' was borrowed later from 17th-century French défilé, from défiler ('to march off in a line').