adulterant

Noun

adulterant (plural adulterants)

1. That which adulterates, or reduces the purity of something.
   • With regard to the presence of opium in ale, it appears to form a very deleterious adulterant;1817 May 1, “Collectanea Dietetica”, in The Monthly Magazine, volume 43, number 297, page 320
   • Potato-flour is the waste of potato after the starch and alcohol have been extracted; it has no more food value than so much wood, and as its use as a food adulterant is a penal offence in Europe, thousands of tons of it are shipped to America every year.1906, Upton Sinclair, chapter 11, in The Jungle, New York: Grosset & Dunlap, page 139

   Synonyms:

   adulterator, sophisticant, contaminant, contamination, contaminator, impurity, pollutant, pollution, taint