defile n : a narrow pass (especially one between mountains) [syn: gorge]

1 place under suspicion or cast doubt upon; "sully someone's reputation" [syn: sully, corrupt, taint, cloud]

2 make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically; "The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air"; "Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man" [syn: tarnish, stain, maculate, sully]

3 spot, stain, or pollute; "The townspeople defiled the river by emptying raw sewage into it" [syn: foul, befoul, maculate]

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -aɪl

Etymology 1

Middle English defoulen, defoilen, Old French defouler, "to trample upon".

Verb

1. to make impure; to make dirty. Less strong than to pollute

Translations

• Finnish: tahrata
• French: souiller, déflorer
• Swedish: orena

Etymology 2

Earlier defilee, French défilé, from défiler, "to march past", from file, "file".

Noun

1. A way or gorge so narrow that only one person at a time can pass.

Translations

• Finnish: sola
• French: défilé

See also

• glen

Verb

1. (intransitive) To march in a single file.

Translations

• Finnish: marssia ohi
• French: défiler
• Swedish: defilera

Defile has several meanings:

• for dictionary definitions.
• defile (geography) is a geographic term for a narrow pass or gorge between mountains. It has its origins as a military description of a pass through which troops can march only in a narrow column or with a narrow front.

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