What is "viciate"

Vitiate \Vi"ti*ate\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vitiated; p. pr. & vb. n. Vitiating.] [L. vitiatus, p. p. vitiare to vitiate, fr. vitium a fault, vice. See Vice a fault.] [Written also viciate.]

1. To make vicious, faulty, or imperfect; to render defective; to injure the substance or qualities of; to impair; to contaminate; to spoil; as, exaggeration vitiates a style of writing; sewer gas vitiates the air.

   A will vitiated and growth out of love with the truth disposes the understanding to error and delusion.
   --South.

   Without care it may be used to vitiate our minds.
   --Burke.

   This undistinguishing complaisance will vitiate the taste of readers.
   --Garth.

2. To cause to fail of effect, either wholly or in part; to make void; to destroy, as the validity or binding force of an instrument or transaction; to annul; as, any undue influence exerted on a jury vitiates their verdict; fraud vitiates a contract.

vb. (archaic form of vitiate English)