infect
Use Infect in a sentence
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.
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Infect
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| to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about. |
adjective
10.
Archaic. infected.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English infecten < Latin infectus (past participle of inficere to immerse in dye, discolor, taint, poison), equivalent to in- in-2 + -fec-, combining form of facere to do1, make (see fact) + -tus past participle suffix
1350–1400; Middle English infecten < Latin infectus (past participle of inficere to immerse in dye, discolor, taint, poison), equivalent to in- in-2 + -fec-, combining form of facere to do1, make (see fact) + -tus past participle suffix
Related forms
in·fect·ant, adjective
in·fect·ed·ness, noun
in·fec·tor, in·fect·er, noun
non·in·fect·ed, adjective
non·in·fect·ing, adjective
Synonyms
5. damage, corrupt. 6. touch, stir, arouse.
5. damage, corrupt. 6. touch, stir, arouse.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To infect
Collins
World English Dictionary
infect (ɪnˈfɛkt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to cause infection in; contaminate (an organism, wound, etc) with pathogenic microorganisms |
| 2. | (also intr) to affect or become affected with a communicable disease |
| 3. | to taint, pollute, or contaminate |
| 4. | to affect, esp adversely, as if by contagion |
| 5. | computing to affect with a computer virus |
| 6. | chiefly international law to taint with crime or illegality; expose to penalty or subject to forfeiture |
| —adj | |
| 7. | archaic contaminated or polluted with or as if with a disease; infected |
| [C14: from Latin inficere to dip into, stain, from facere to make] | |
| in'fector | |
| —n | |
| in'fecter | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
infect
late 14c., 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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Flash or thumb drives provide an easy way to infect machines with malware.
There are an unthinkable amount of ways to infect someones computer but there is only a few ways to protect oneself.
When it manages to infect humans, it seems to be quite deadly.
Then they hatch and take to the air, ready to infect humans.
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