Infectious

/ɪnˈfɛk.ʃəs/ adj, slang

adj, slang ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 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).

    "Cancer is usually not infectious."

  2. 2
    Able to infect others; capable of transmitting pathogens.

    "Despite feeling better, the patient is still infectious."

  3. 3
    Spreading quickly from one person to another.

    "infectious smile"

  4. 4
    Memorable and invoking excitement or interest. informal

    "Pop music is more infectious than elevator music."

Adjective
  1. 1
    easily spread wordnet
  2. 2
    caused by infection or capable of causing infection wordnet
  3. 3
    of or relating to infection wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
infectivecatchingcommunicablecomparative forms of pathogeniccontagiouscontagious

Example

More examples

"The infectious case was isolated from other patients."

Etymology

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

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