adulterine

Etymology

From Latin adulterinus.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /əˈdʌltəɹaɪn/
• (US) enPR: ə-dŭlʹtə-rīn, IPA^(key): /əˈdʌltəɹaɪn/ or enPR: ə-dŭlʹtə-rēn, IPA^(key): /əˈdʌltəɹiːn/

Adjective

adulterine (comparative more adulterine, superlative most adulterine)

1. Spurious; due to adulteration.
   • 1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy, Oxford: Printed by Iohn Lichfield and Iames Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 216894069; The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd corrected and augmented edition, Oxford: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, 1624, OCLC 54573970, (please specify |partition=1, 2, or 3):
     , II.4.1.i:

     a knave apothecary, that administers the physick, and makes the medicine, may do infinite harm, by his old obsolete doses, adulterine druggs, bad mixtures, quid pro quo, &c.

2. Born of adultery.
3. Pertaining to adultery.
4. Illegal; unlicensed.
   • Adam Smith

     When any particular class of artificers or traders thought proper to act as a corporation without a charter, such were called adulterine guilds.

Noun

adulterine (plural adulterines)

1. (rare) One born of an adulterous union.

Adjective

adulterine

1. feminine plural of adulterino

Adjective

adulterīne

1. vocative masculine singular of adulterīnus