The Only Use of
defile
in
The Scarlet Letter
- Would not the people start up in their seats, by a simultaneous impulse, and tear him down out of the pulpit which he defiled?†
p. 133.7defiled = spoiled the beauty or purity of something
Definitions:
-
(1)
(defile as in: it was defiled) to spoil the beauty or purity of somethingin various senses, including:
- pollute a pristine lake
- harm a reputation or good name
- damage or disrespect something sacred
- take a person's virginity in a disrespectful way
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
More rarely (but not uncommon in classic literature), defile can refer to a narrow valley or a march or passage through one.