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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

in·fect

Audio Help [in-fekt] Pronunciation Key

–verb (used with object)

1.	to affect or contaminate (a person, organ, wound, etc.) with disease-producing germs.

2.	to affect with disease.

3.	to taint or contaminate with something that affects quality, character, or condition unfavorably: to infect the air with poison gas.

4.	to corrupt or affect morally: The news of the gold strike infected him with greed.

5.	to imbue with some pernicious belief, opinion, etc.

6.	to affect with a computer virus.

7.	to affect so as to influence feeling or action: His courage infected the others.

8.	Law. to taint with illegality, or expose to penalty, forfeiture, etc.

–verb (used without object)

9.	to become infected.

–adjective

10.	Archaic. infected.

[Origin: 1350–1400; ME infecten < L infectus (ptp. of inficere to immerse in dye, discolor, taint, poison), equiv. to in- in-² + -fec-, comb. form of facere to do¹, make (see fact) + -tus ptp. suffix

]

—Related forms

in·fect·ant, adjective

in·fect·ed·ness, noun

in·fec·tor, in·fect·er, noun

—Synonyms 5. damage, corrupt. 6. touch, stir, arouse.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
infect

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

in·fect Audio Help (ĭn-fěkt') Pronunciation Key
tr.v. in·fect·ed, in·fect·ing, in·fects

To contaminate with a pathogenic microorganism or agent.
To communicate a pathogen or disease to.
To invade and produce infection in.
To contaminate or corrupt: envy that infected their thoughts; a society that was infected by racism.
To affect in a contagious way: "His fear infected me, and . . . I followed as fast as I could" (W.H. Hudson).

[Middle English infecten, to afflict with disease, from Latin īnficere, īnfect-, to stain, infect (in-, in; see in-² + facere, to do; see dhē- in Indo-European roots).]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
infect

c.1374, from L. infectus, pp. of inficere "to spoil, stain," lit. "to put in," from in- "in" + facere "perform" (see factitious). Infection is 1548 in sense of "communication of disease by agency of air or water" (distinguished from contagion, which is body-to-body communication). Infectious "catching, having the quality of spreading from person to person" is 1542 of diseases, 1611 of emotions, actions, etc.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

infect
verb
1.	communicate a disease to; "Your children have infected you with this head cold"
2.	contaminate with a disease or microorganism [ant: disinfect]
3.	corrupt with ideas or an ideology; "society was infected by racism"
4.	affect in a contagious way; "His laughter infects everyone who is in the same room"

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
infect [inˈfekt] verb

to fill with germs that cause disease; to give a disease to
Example: You must wash that cut on your knee in case it becomes infected; She had a bad cold last week and has infected the rest of the class.

Arabic:	يُصيب بالعَدوى، يُدْخِل جُرْثومَه
Chinese (Simplified):	感染, 传染
Chinese (Traditional):	感染, 傳染
Czech:	nakazit
Danish:	inficere; smitte
Dutch:	besmetten
Estonian:	nakkama, nakatuma
Finnish:	saada tartunta, tartuttaa
French:	infecter
German:	infizieren
Greek:	μολύνω, κολλώ
Hungarian:	(meg)fertőz
Icelandic:	smita
Indonesian:	menjangkiti, menulari
Italian:	infettare, contagiare

Japanese:	病気をうつす
Korean:	전염시키다
Latvian:	inficēt; aplipināt
Lithuanian:	užkrėsti
Norwegian:	smitte, påføre (en sykdom)
Polish:	zakazić, zarazić
Portuguese (Brazil):	infeccionar, contaminar
Portuguese (Portugal):	infectar
Romanian:	a infecta
Russian:	заражать
Slovak:	nakaziť
Slovenian:	okužiti
Spanish:	infectar
Swedish:	infektera, smitta
Turkish:	bulaştırmak, geçirmek

See also: infection, infectious, "infect" in any language

American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

infect in·fect (ĭn-fěkt')
v. in·fect·ed, in·fect·ing, in·fects

To contaminate with a pathogenic microorganism or agent.
To communicate a pathogen or disease to another organism.
To invade and produce infection in an organ or body part.

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: in·fect
Pronunciation: in-'fekt
Function: transitive verb
1 : to contaminate with a disease-producing substance or agent (asbacteria)
2 a : to communicate a pathogen or a disease to b of a pathogenic organism : to invade (an individual or organ) usually by penetration—compare INFEST

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Infect

En*fect"\, a. [See Infect, a.] Contaminated with illegality. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Infect

In*fect"\, a. [L. infectus: cf. F. infect. See Infect, v. t.] Infected. Cf. Enfect. [Obs.] --Shak.

On-line Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

infect

infect: in CancerWEB's On-line Medical Dictionary

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