infectious
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Related to infectious: infectious mononucleosis, Infectious diseases
infectious
capable of causing infection; transmitted without contact: Cholera is an infectious epidemic disease caused by a microorganism.
Not to be confused with:
contagious – transmissible by contact; catching; capable of carrying disease: A head cold can be contagious.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
in·fec·tious
(ĭn-fĕk′shəs)adj.
1. Capable of causing infection: an infectious microorganism.
2. Capable of being transmitted by infection: an infectious disease.
3. Capable of transmitting a disease; contagious: Is the patient still infectious?
4. Spreading or tending to spread from one to another: an infectious laugh.
in·fec′tious·ly adv.
in·fec′tious·ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
infectious
(ɪnˈfɛkʃəs)adj
1. (Medicine) (of a disease) capable of being transmitted. Compare contagious
2. (Pathology) (of a disease) caused by microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, or protozoa
3. (Medicine) causing or transmitting infection
4. tending or apt to spread, as from one person to another: infectious mirth.
5. (Law) international law
a. tainting or capable of tainting with illegality
b. rendering liable to seizure or forfeiture
inˈfectiously adv
inˈfectiousness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
in•fec•tious
(ɪnˈfɛk ʃəs)adj.
1. communicable by infection, as from one person to another or from one part of the body to another.
2. causing or communicating infection.
3. tending to spread quickly and generally: infectious laughter.
4. Obs. diseased.
[1535–45]
in•fec′tious•ly, adv.
in•fec′tious•ness, n.
syn: See contagious.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
in·fec·tious
(ĭn-fĕk′shəs) Capable of causing infection: an infectious disease.
Usage A contagious or communicable disease is one that can be transmitted from one living being to another through direct or indirect contact. Thus the flu, which can be transmitted by coughing, and cholera, which is often acquired by drinking contaminated water, are contagious (or communicable) diseases. Modern medicine also uses the word infectious to refer to such diseases. Infectious has a slightly different meaning. It refers to diseases caused by infectious agents—agents such as viruses and bacteria that are not normally present in the body and can cause an infection. While the notion of contagiousness goes back to ancient times, the idea of infectious diseases is more modern, coming from the germ theory of disease, which was not proposed until the later 19th century. Contagious and infectious are also used to refer to people who have communicable diseases at a stage at which transmission to others is likely.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Adj. | 1. | infectious - caused by infection or capable of causing infection; "viruses and other infective agents"; "a carrier remains infective without himself showing signs of the disease" |
| 2. | infectious - easily spread; "fear is exceedingly infectious; children catch it from their elders"- Bertrand Russell noninfectious - not infectious | |
| 3. | infectious - of or relating to infection; "infectious hospital"; "infectious disease" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
infectious
adjective catching, spreading, contagious, communicable, poisoning, corrupting, contaminating, polluting, virulent, defiling, infective, vitiating, pestilential, transmittable infectious diseases such as measles
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
infectious
adjectiveCapable of transmission by infection:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
مُعِدٌمُعْدٍ، ناقِل العَدْوى
infekčnínakažlivý
smitsom
tarttuva
zarazan
smitandi
感染性の
전염성인
nalezljiv
smittsam
ติดเชื้อ
lây nhiễm
infectious
[ɪnˈfekʃəs]A. ADJ
1. (Med) [disease] → infeccioso, contagioso
he is no longer infectious → ya le ha pasado el periodo del contagio
he is no longer infectious → ya le ha pasado el periodo del contagio
2. (fig) [person, laugh, enthusiasm, rhythm] → contagioso
B. CPD infectious hepatitis N → hepatitis f infecciosa
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
infectious
[ɪnˈfɛkʃəs] adj [laugh, enthusiasm] → contagieux/euse
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
infectious
adj
(Med) disease → ansteckend, infektiös; are you still infectious? → besteht bei dir noch Ansteckungsgefahr?
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
infectious
[ɪnˈfɛkʃəs] adj (disease) → infettivo/a, contagioso/a; (person, laughter) → contagioso/aCollins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
infect
(inˈfekt) verb to fill with germs that cause disease; to give a disease to. You must wash that cut on your knee in case it becomes infected; She had a bad cold last week and has infected the rest of the class.
inˈfection (-ʃən) noun1. the process of infecting or state of being infected. You should wash your hands after handling raw meat to avoid infection.
2. a disease. a throat infection.
inˈfectious (-ʃəs) adjective likely to spread to others. Measles is an infectious disease.
inˈfectiously adverbKernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
infectious
→ مُعِدٌ infekční smitsom ansteckend μολυσματικός infeccioso tarttuva infectieux zarazan infettivo 感染性の 전염성인 besmettelijk smittsom zakaźny infeccioso, infecioso инфекционный smittsam ติดเชื้อ bulaşıcı lây nhiễm 有传染性的Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
in·fec·tious
a. infeccioso-a, rel. a una infección;
___ agent → agente ___;
___ disease → enfermedad ___.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
Collins Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
infectious
adj infeccioso, contagioso (fam)English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.