verb
infect
in-FEKT/ɪnˈfekt/
To introduce a disease-causing agent that spreads within a host.
Microbes entering the scratch can infect the surrounding tissue.
Etymology
Although the components mean “in” and “make or do,” their Latin compound meant “put into, dip into,” hence “stain” or “corrupt.” That image of contamination underlies the disease sense.
In context
These swarms of worms emerge from the snails and swim around to find a tadpole or young salamander, where they tend to infect the skin
More examples
- Bacteria can infect a wound if it is not cleaned.
- The fungus infects the roots of tomato plants.
- People can infect others before they notice any symptoms.
Forms
infect · infects · infected · infecting
infection noun — The invasion and growth of disease-causing agents.
infectious adjective — Able to spread disease to others.
Similar words
- contaminate
- Means making something impure, without necessarily causing an infection.
- transmit
- Emphasizes passing along a disease agent rather than establishing infection.