adulterant
Impurity added deliberately
An adulterant is a substance added to another to make it impure, typically for economic gain or deception.
Food adulterants might be cheaper fillers or harmful additives; drug adulterants dilute the product or add dangerous compounds: The heroin was cut with fentanyl as an adulterant.
The word implies contamination rather than legitimate blending.
Substance that pollutes
- pollutantEnvironment-harming agent
- impuritySubstance degrading another's quality
- toxicCapable of causing harm
- leadDense metal, symbol Pb
arsenic · mercury · pesticide · melamine · formaldehyde · cadmium · cyanide · methanol
Substance closing gaps
- extenderThing that adds length
- waterClear essential liquid
- starchComplex plant carbohydrate
- sawdustPowdery timber waste
chalk · talc · sand · cellulose · maltodextrin · dextrin · whey · cornstarch
Fraudulent imitation
- fakeNot the real thing
- syntheticProduced artificially, not natural
- imitationCopy of the original
- substituteReplacement for another
surrogate · ersatz · knockoff · inferior · substandard · mislabeled · undeclared · oleomargarine
Intentional criminal trickery
- misrepresentationFalse or misleading statement
- falsificationDeliberate alteration of truth
- tamperingImproper interference with something
- spikingRising sharply upward
cutting · stretching · doctoring · debasing · mislabeling · deceptive · forgery · sham
contaminant
Substance that pollutes
- pollutantEnvironment-harming agent
- impuritySubstance degrading another's quality
- toxicCapable of causing harm
lead · arsenic · mercury · pesticide · melamine · formaldehyde · cadmium · cyanide · methanol · urea
filler
Substance closing gaps
sawdust · chalk · talc · sand · cellulose · maltodextrin · dextrin · whey · cornstarch · gelatin
counterfeit
Fraudulent imitation
substitute · surrogate · ersatz · knockoff · inferior · substandard · mislabeled · undeclared · oleomargarine · vanillin
fraud
Intentional criminal trickery
- misrepresentationFalse or misleading statement
- falsificationDeliberate alteration of truth
- tamperingImproper interference with something
spiking · cutting · stretching · doctoring · debasing · mislabeling · deceptive · forgery · sham · quackery
- corruptorscorruptor, briber, manipulator, deceiver, tempter
adulterantpurifier
Contamination removal device
filter · clarifier · cleanser · refiner · decontaminant
adulterantauthenticator
Identity verification tool
enhancer · fortifier · preservative · stabilizer · integrity
- adulterated goodsProducts compromised by additives
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