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infection definition

in·fec·tion (in fek′s̸hən)

noun

  1. an infecting; specif.,
    1. the act of causing to become diseased
    2. the act of affecting with one's feelings or beliefs
  2. the fact or state of being infected, esp. by the presence in the body of bacteria, protozoans, viruses, or other parasites
  3. something that results from infecting or being infected; specif.,
    1. a disease resulting from infection (sense )
    2. a feeling, belief, influence, etc. transmitted from one person to another
  4. anything that infects

Etymology: ME infeccioun < OFr infection < LL infectio

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

hacker Infection definition - hacker

medical infection definition - medical

infection Synonyms

infection

n.

  1. The spread of a disease

    contagiousness, contagion, communicability, epidemic, poisoning, contamination; see also contamination, pollution.

  2. Disease

    virus, plague, germs; see disease, germ 3.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

infection Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • tract: Homeopathy can be a great help at times like this The common cold is caused by a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract.

Converse of subject

  • complicate: Acute renal failure This may occur with any serious illness or operation, particularly those complicated by severe infection.

Converse of object

  • transmit: The rise in sexually transmitted infections among young people is a major public health challenge.

Adjective modifier

  • viral: Nine subjects with a viral infection returned for assessment.

Noun used with modifier

  • tract: How should general practitioners investigate suspected urinary tract infection?
infection usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

infection quotes

Ink, n. Avillainous compound†chiefly used to facilitate the infection of idiocyand promote intellectual crime.

-Bierce, Ambrose Gwinett

No science is immuneto the infection of politics and the corruption of power.

-Bronowski,Jacob

That it is at least as difficult to staya moral infection as a physical one; that such a disease will spread with the malignityand rapidity of the Plague; that the contagion, when it has once made head, will spare no pursuit or condition, but will lay hold on people in the soundest health, and become developed inthe most unlikely constitutions; is a fact as firmlyestablished by experience as that we human creatures breathe an atmosphere.

-Dickens, CharlesJohn Huffam

infection quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"infection." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/infection>

APA Style

infection. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/infection

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