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inoculation - 6 dictionary results

in⋅oc⋅u⋅la⋅tion

   [i-nok-yuh-ley-shuhn]
–noun
1. the act or process of inoculating.
2. an instance of inoculating.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME < L inoculātiōn- (s. of inoculātiō) an engrafting. See inoculate, -ion
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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in·oc·u·la·tion     (ĭ-nŏk'yə-lā'shən)  Pronunciation Key 
n.  
  1. The act or an instance of inoculating, especially the introduction of an antigenic substance or vaccine into the body to produce immunity to a specific disease.
  2. Informal A preemptive advertising tactic in which one party attempts to foresee and neutralize potentially damaging criticism from another party by being the first to confront troublesome issues.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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inoculation

noun
taking a vaccine as a precaution against contracting a disease 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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inoculation   (ĭ-nŏk'yə-lā'shən)  Pronunciation Key 
  1. The introduction of a serum, a vaccine, or an antigenic substance into the body of a person or an animal, especially as a means to produce or boost immunity to a specific disease.
  2. The introduction of a microorganism or an agent of disease into an host organism or a growth medium.

inoculate verb
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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inoculation [(i-nok-yuh-lay-shuhn)]

The introduction of an antigen into the body, usually by injection, in order to stimulate the production of antibodies to produce immunity to an infectious disease. (See immunization.)


[Chapter:] Medicine and Health


The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Inoculation

In*oc"u*la"tion\, n. [L. inoculatio: cf. F. inoculation.]

1. The act or art of inoculating trees or plants.

2. (Med.) The act or practice of communicating a disease to a person in health, by inserting contagious matter in his skin or flesh.

Note: The use was formerly limited to the intentional communication of the smallpox, but is now extended to include any similar introduction of modified virus; as, the inoculation of rabies by Pasteur.

3. Fig.: The communication of principles, especially false principles, to the mind.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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