English Explanatory Dictionary

infectious

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Caused by an agent that enters the host's body (such as a bacterium, virus, parasite, or prion); often, also, transmitted among hosts via any of various routes (for example, contact, droplet-borne, airborne, waterborne, foodborne, fomite-borne, or bloodborne).
  2. Able to infect others; capable of transmitting pathogens.
  3. Spreading quickly from one person to another.
  4. Memorable and invoking excitement or interest.

Pronunciation

/ɪnˈfɛk.ʃəs/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Ajshul-infectious.wav

Word forms

infectious more infectious most infectious

Etymology

Borrowed from New Latin īnfectiōsus. By surface analysis, infect + -ious.

Antonyms

non-infectious noninfectious

Derived words

agroinfectious antiinfectious bovine infectious petechial fever feline infectious peritonitis hyperinfectious infection infectious abortion infectious agent infectious bovine rhinotracheitis infectious disease infectious disease specialist infectiously infectious mononucleosis infectiousness neuroinfectious parainfectious postinfectious preinfectious pseudoinfectious reinfectious subinfectious superinfectious toxicoinfectious uninfectious
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