De-fīle'1, v. t.
v. t. (Fort.) The same as DEFILADE. See DEFILADE.
4 entries under this word
Defile
De-fīle′ or Dē′fīle2, n.
( Synop., § 130), n. [Fr. défilé, from défiler. See supra.]
- A narrow passage or way, in which troops can march only in a file, or with a narrow front; a long, narrow pass, as between hills, &c.
- (Fort.) The act of defilading a fortress, or of raising the exterior works in order to protect the interior. See DEFILADE.
De-file'3, v. t.
v. t. [imp. & p. p. DEFILED; p. pr. & vb. n. DEFILING.] [O. Eng. defyle, defoil, defoul, defoule, A-S. fylian, afylian, gefylian, to pollute, from ful, foul. See FILE, FOUL, and DEFOUL.] 1. To make unclean; to render foul or dirty; to befoul; to pollute; to corrupt. They that touch pitch will be defiled. Shak.
- To make impure; to render turbid; as, the water or liquor is defiled.
- To soil or sully; to tarnish, as reputation, &c.
He is among the greatest prelates of the age, however his character may be defiled by dirty hands. Swift. 4. To injure in purity of character; to vitiate; to corrupt. Defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt. Ezek. xx. 7. 5. To corrupt the chastity of; to debauch; to violate. Shechem ... lay with her and defiled her. Gen. xxxiv. 2. 6. To make ceremonially unclean. That which dieth of itself he shall not eat, to defile himself therewith. Lev. xxii. 8.
De-file'4, v. i.
[Fr. défiler, from dé, for des, Lat. dis, and file, a row or line, Pr., Sp., Pg., & It. fila, from Lat. filum, a thread, pl. fila.] To march off file by file; to file off.