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Defile vs Unclean - What's the difference?

defile | unclean |

As a verb defile

is to make impure; to make dirty.

As a noun defile

is a narrow way or passage, e.g. between mountains.

As an adjective unclean is

dirty, soiled or foul.

defile

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) .

Verb

(defil)
  • to make impure; to make dirty.
    • Synonyms
    * contaminate * pollute
    Antonyms
    * purify

    Etymology 2

    Earlier (defilee), from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A narrow way or passage, e.g. between mountains.
  • A single file, such as of soldiers.
  • The act of defilading a fortress, or of raising the exterior works in order to protect the interior.
    • See also
    * glen

    Verb

    (defil)
  • (archaic) To march in a single file.
  • * 1979 , Cormac McCarthy, Suttree , Random House, p.138:
    • They defiled down a gully to the water and bunched and jerked their noses at it and came back.

    Noun

  • march-past

    • Declension

    {{sh-decl-noun , defìl?, defilei , defilèa, defilé? , defileu, defileima , defile, defilee , defileu / defilee, defilei , defileu, defileima , defileom, defileima }}

    References

    *

    unclean

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • dirty, soiled or foul
  • not moral or chaste
  • ritually or ceremonially impure or unfit

    • Synonyms

    * See also