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infecting - 2 dictionary results
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in⋅fect

  [in-fekt]
Use infecting 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.
–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 do 1 , 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
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To infecting
in·fect   (ĭn-fěkt')   
tr.v.   in·fect·ed, in·fect·ing, in·fects
  1. To contaminate with a pathogenic microorganism or agent.
  2. To communicate a pathogen or disease to.
  3. To invade and produce infection in.
  4. To contaminate or corrupt: envy that infected their thoughts; a society that was infected by racism.
  5. 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).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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