All 3 Uses of
defile
in
Black: The Birth of Evil
- They knew as much as she how blood defiled a man.†
Chpt 6 *defiled = spoiled the beauty or purity of something
- It defiled man, woman, child, grass, water, anything that it touched.†
Chpt 6
- Never allow blood to defile the water.†
Chpt 36
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.