Adulterine

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /əˈdÊŒltÉ™raɪn/
• US enPR: É™-dÅ­lʹtÉ™-rÄ«n, IPA: /əˈdÊŒltÉ™raɪn/ or enPR: É™-dÅ­lʹtÉ™-rÄ“n, IPA: /əˈdÊŒltÉ™riːn/

Origin

From Latin adulterinus

Full definition of adulterine

Adjective

1. Spurious; due to adulteration.
• 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, 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 SmithWhen any particular class of artificers or traders thought proper to act as a corporation without a charter, such were called adulterine guilds.

Noun

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

Usage notes

An adulterine is not the same as a bastard, which is a person born out of wedlock.