infectious

infectious
adjective Date: 1542 1. a. capable of causing infection <
viruses and other infectious agents
>
b. communicable by infection <
an infectious disease
>
— compare contagious 2. that corrupts or contaminates 3. spreading or capable of spreading rapidly to others <
their enthusiasm was infectious
>
<
an infectious grin
>
infectiously adverbinfectiousness noun

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • infectious — 1 Infectious, contagious, communicable, catchingin their basic use as applied to diseases are distinguishable though closely similar in meaning. Infectious designates a disease resulting from the invasion of and multiplication in the body by… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Infectious — In*fec tious, a. [Cf. F. infectieux.] [1913 Webster] 1. Having qualities that may infect; communicable or caused by infection; pestilential; epidemic; as, an infectious fever; infectious clothing; infectious water; infectious vices. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • infectious — [adj] catching, spreading communicable, contagious, contaminating, corrupting, defiling, diseased, epidemic, infective, mephitic, miasmic, noxious, pestilent, pestilential, poisoning, polluting, toxic, transferable, transmittable, virulent,… …   New thesaurus

  • infectious — [in fek′shəs] adj. 1. likely to cause infection; containing disease producing organisms or matter 2. designating a disease that can be communicated by INFECTION (sense 2) 3. tending to spread or to affect others; catching [an infectious laugh] 4 …   English World dictionary

  • infectious — index contagious, harmful, pestilent Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • infectious — catching, having the quality of spreading from person to person, 1540s of diseases, 1610s of emotions, actions, etc.; see INFECT (Cf. infect) + OUS (Cf. ous) …   Etymology dictionary

  • infectious — see contagious …   Modern English usage

  • infectious — ► ADJECTIVE 1) (of a disease or disease causing organism) liable to be transmitted through the environment. 2) liable to spread infection. 3) likely to spread to or influence others. DERIVATIVES infectiously adverb infectiousness noun …   English terms dictionary

  • infectious — in|fec|tious [ınˈfekʃəs] adj 1.) an infectious illness can be passed from one person to another, especially through the air you breathe ▪ infectious diseases ▪ Flu is highly infectious. 2.) someone who is infectious has an illness and could pass… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • infectious — in|fec|tious [ ın fekʃəs ] adjective * 1. ) an infectious disease is one that can spread from one person to another: The condition is highly infectious. a ) used about a person or animal that has an infectious disease: The animals were still… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • infectious */ — UK [ɪnˈfekʃəs] / US adjective 1) a) an infectious disease is one that can spread from one person to another The condition is highly infectious. b) used about a person or animal that has an infectious disease The animals were still infectious when …   English dictionary

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