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Definition of purify verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

purify

verb
 
/ˈpjʊərɪfaɪ/
 
/ˈpjʊrɪfaɪ/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they purify
 
/ˈpjʊərɪfaɪ/
 
/ˈpjʊrɪfaɪ/
he / she / it purifies
 
/ˈpjʊərɪfaɪz/
 
/ˈpjʊrɪfaɪz/
past simple purified
 
/ˈpjʊərɪfaɪd/
 
/ˈpjʊrɪfaɪd/
past participle purified
 
/ˈpjʊərɪfaɪd/
 
/ˈpjʊrɪfaɪd/
-ing form purifying
 
/ˈpjʊərɪfaɪɪŋ/
 
/ˈpjʊrɪfaɪɪŋ/
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  1. purify something to make something pure by removing substances that are dirty, harmful or not wanted
    • One tablet will purify a litre of water.
  2. purify somebody/something/yourself to make somebody pure by removing evil from their souls
    • Hindus purify themselves by bathing in the River Ganges.
    • to purify the soul
  3. purify something (from something) (specialist) to take a pure form of a substance out of another substance that contains it
    • The extract was purified by chromatography.
  4. Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French purifier, from Latin purificare, from purus ‘pure’.
See purify in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee purify in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
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adjective
 
 
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