Defile (geography)
WordNet
noun
(1) A narrow pass (especially one between mountains)
verb
(2) Spot, stain, or pollute
"The townspeople defiled the river by emptying raw sewage into it"
(3) Make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically
"The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air"
"Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man"
(4) Place under suspicion or cast doubt upon
"Sully someone's reputation"
WiktionaryText
Etymology 1
Middle English alter. of M.E. from O.E. . Form influenced by M.E. , from Old French .
Verb
- to make impure; to make dirty. Less strong than to pollute
Etymology 2
Earlier , French , from from .