De*file" (d&esl;*fīl"), v. t. [OE. defoulen,
-foilen, to tread down, OF. defouler; de- + fouler to trample (see Full, v. t.), and OE. defoulen
to foul (influenced in form by the older verb defoilen). See File to defile, Foul, Defoul.]
1. To make
foul or impure; to make filthy; to dirty; to befoul; to pollute.
They that touch pitch will be defiled.
Shak. 2. To soil or sully; to tarnish, as reputation; to taint.
He
is . . . among the greatest prelates of this age, however his character may be defiled by . . . dirty hands.
Swift. 3. To injure in
purity of character; to corrupt.
Defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt.
Ezek. xx. 7.
4. To corrupt the chastity of; to debauch; to violate.
The husband murder'd and
the wife
defiled.
Prior.
5. To make ceremonially unclean; to pollute.
That which dieth of itself, or
is torn with beasts, he shall not eat
to defile therewith.
Lev. xxii. 8.
De*file" (d&esl;*fīl" or
dē"fīl; 277), n. [Cf. F. défilé, fr. défiler to defile.]
1. Any narrow passage or gorge in which troops can march only in
a file, or with a narrow
front; a long, narrow pass between hills, rocks,
etc.
2. (Mil.) The act of defilading a fortress, or of raising the exterior works in order to protect the interior. See Defilade.
De*file" , v. t. (Mil.) Same
as Defilade.
De*file" (d&esl;*fīl"), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Defiled (-fīld"); p. pr. & vb. n. Defiling.]
[F.
défiler; pref.
dé-, for des-
(L. dis-) + file a row
or line. See
File a row.] To march off in
a line, file
by file; to
file off.
Hear it pronounced