a. The invasion of bodily tissue by pathogenic microorganisms that proliferate, resulting in tissue injury that can progress to disease: measures taken by the hospital to prevent infection.
b. The entry or placement, as by injection, of a microorganism or infectious agent into a cell or tissue.
c. An instance of being infected: developed an infection in my toe.
d. An agent or a contaminated substance responsible for one's becoming infected: an infection spread by contaminated water.
e. The pathological state resulting from having been infected: a drug to control infection.
2. An infectious disease: Crowded conditions gave rise to several serious infections.
3. An instance of a virus or similar software program infecting a computer.
4. The communication of a usually undesirable idea, emotion, or attitude by contact with other people or by example.
1. (Pathology) invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms
2. (Pathology) the resulting condition in the tissues
3. (Pathology) an infectious disease
4. the act of infecting or state of being infected
5. an agent or influence that infects
6. persuasion or corruption, as by ideas, perverse influences, etc
in•fec•tion
1. the act of infecting or the state of being infected.
2. an infecting agency or influence.
3. an infectious disease.
4. the condition of suffering an infection.
5. corruption of another's opinions, beliefs, etc.
6. an influence or impulse passing from one to another and affecting feeling or action.
[1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin]
in·fec·tion
The invasion of the body by microorganisms that can cause disease or by a virus. Microorganisms that can cause infection include bacteria, fungi, and protozoans.
Thesaurus Antonyms Related Words Synonyms Legend:
infection - the pathological state resulting from the invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms
health problem. ill health. unhealthiness - a state in which you are unable to function normally and without pain
enterobiasis - an infestation with or a resulting infection caused by the pinworm Enterobius vermicularis; occurs especially in children
whitlow. felon - a purulent infection at the end of a finger or toe in the area surrounding the nail
focal infection - bacterial infection limited to a specific organ or region especially one causing symptoms elsewhere
cross infection. nonsocial infection - an infection that is acquired at a hospital or other healthcare facility
opportunistic infection - any infection caused by a microorganism that does not normally cause disease in humans; occurs in persons with abnormally functioning immune systems (as AIDS patients or transplant patients receiving immunosuppressive drugs)
paronychia - infection in the tissues adjacent to a nail on a finger or toe
protozoal infection - any infection caused by a protozoan
itch. scabies - a contagious skin infection caused by the itch mite; characterized by persistent itching and skin irritation; "he has a bad case of the itch"
bilharzia. bilharziasis. schistosomiasis - an infestation with or a resulting infection caused by a parasite of the genus Schistosoma; common in the tropics and Far East; symptoms depend on the part of the body infected
sepsis - the presence of pus-forming bacteria or their toxins in the blood or tissues
sore - an open skin infection
staphylococcal infection - an infection with staphylococcus bacteria; usually marked by abscess formation
superinfection - infection that occurs while you are being treated for another infection
suprainfection - secondary infection caused by an opportunistic infection
tapeworm infection - intestinal infection by a species of parasitic tapeworm; usually the result of eating inadequately cooked meat or fish
lockjaw. tetanus - an acute and serious infection of the central nervous system caused by bacterial infection of open wounds; spasms of the jaw and laryngeal muscles may occur during the late stages
toxoplasmosis - infection caused by parasites transmitted to humans from infected cats; if contracted by a pregnant woman it can result in serious damage to the fetus
viral infection. virus infection - infection by a virus that is pathogenic to humans
vaccina. vaccinia. variola vaccina. variola vaccine. variola vaccinia - a local infection induced in humans by inoculation with the virus causing cowpox in order to confer resistance to smallpox; normally lasts three weeks and leaves a pitted scar
incubation - (pathology) the phase in the development of an infection between the time a pathogen enters the body and the time the first symptoms appear
infection - (phonetics) the alteration of a speech sound under the influence of a neighboring sound
phonetics - the branch of acoustics concerned with speech processes including its production and perception and acoustic analysis
linguistic process - a process involved in human language
infection - (medicine) the invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms and their multiplication which can lead to tissue damage and disease
medical specialty. medicine - the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques
zymosis - (medicine) the development and spread of an infectious disease (especially one caused by a fungus)
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. aansteek, besmet يُصيب بالعَدوى، يُدْخِل جُرْثومَه заразявам се infectar nakazit infizieren inficere; smitte μολύνω. κολλώ infectar nakkama, nakatuma آلوده کردن؛ چرک کردن tartuttaa infecter לַהדבִיק छूत लगाना zaraziti (meg)fertőz menjangkiti, menulari smita infettare. contagiare 病気をうつす 감염되다 užkrėsti inficēt; aplipināt menjangkiti besmetten smitte. påføre zakazić. zarazić کسیف کول infectar a infecta заражать nakaziť okužiti zaraziti infektera, smitta [ner] ทำให้ติดเชื้อ bulaştırmak, geçirmek 感染, 傳染 заражати جراثیم زدہ کرنا lây nhiễm 感染，传染
inˈfection ( -ʃən ) noun
1. the process of infecting or state of being infected. You should wash your hands after handling raw meat to avoid infection. infeksie, ontsteking عَدْوى، إنْتِقال المَرَض инфекция infecção infekce die Ansteckung infektion μόλυνση infección nakkus آلودگی؛ عفونت tartunta infection הִידַבּקוּת बीमारी की छूत zaraza fertőzés infeksi smit infezione 感染 감염 užkrėtimas, infekcija inficēšanās jangkitan besmetting smitte. infeksjon zakażenie آلودګی infecção infecţie заражение infekcia okužba infekcija smitta, smittoämne การติดเชื้อ bulaşma 感染 зараження جراثیم زدگی sự lây nhiễm 感染
2. a disease. a throat infection. infeksie مَرَض، إصابة بالمَرَض зараза infecção infekce die Infektion infektion; -infektion μόλυνση. μολυσματική αρρώστια infección haigus بیماری عفونی infektio infection מַחֲלָה מִידַבֶּקֶת infekcija fertőzés penyakit sÿking infezione 感染 전염병 infekcija infekcija penyakit infectie infeksjon. smittsom. sykdom zapalenie ناروغى، جسمى يا فكرى ناروغتيا،مرض علت infecção infecţie инфекция infekcia infekcijska bolezen infekcija infektion เชื้อโรค hastalık. enfeksiyon 傳染病 інфекція; зараза متعدی بیماری căn bệnh 传染病
inˈfectious ( -ʃəs ) adjective
likely to spread to others. Measles is an infectious disease. aansteeklik مُعْدٍ، ناقِل العَدْوى заразен infeccioso nakažlivý ansteckend smitsom μολυσματικός infeccioso nakkus- واگیر دار tarttuva contagieux מידבק छूत से लगने वाला zarazan fertőző menular smitandi infettivo. contagioso 伝染性の 전염성인 užkrečiamas, infekcinis infekcijas-; lipīgs berjangkit besmettelijk smittsom. smittende zakaźny ساري،ساري مرض infeccioso contagios заразный nákazlivý nalezljiv zarazan smittsam ซึ่งติดเชื้อ bulaşıcı 會傳染的 заразний; інфекційний متعدی truyền nhiễm 有传染性的，传染的
aansteeklike بصورةٍ مُعْدِيَه заразно infecciosamente nakažlivě ansteckend smitsomt μολυσματικά, μεταδοτικά de manera infecciosa nakkuslikult بطور مسری tarttuvasti de manière contagieuse בְּצוּרָה מִידַבֶּקֶת संक्रामकता zarazno fertőző módon secara menular með smitandi hætti in maniera contagiosa 伝染して 전염되기 쉽게 infekciškai lipīgi dengan berjangkit besmettelijk smittsomt. smittende zaraźliwie د مسری په دوله infecciosamente contagios заразно nákazlivo nalezljivo zarazno smittsamt ติดเชื้อ bulaşıcı şekilde 會傳染地 заразно تعدیہ کی طرح dễ lây lan 传染地
in·fec·tion
n. infección, invasión del cuerpo por microorganismos patógenos y la reacción y efecto que éstos provocan en los tejidos;
acute ___ → ___ aguda ;
airborne ___ → ___ aerógena ;
chronic ___ → ___crónica ;
References in classic literature ?
But at last there seemed a perverse turn; it seemed all at once as if he were more afraid of its being a bad sore throat on her account, than on Harriet'smore anxious that she should escape the infection. than that there should be no infection in the complaint.
On that same occasion I learned, for the first time, from Miss Abbot's communications to Bessie, that my father had been a poor clergyman; that my mother had married him against the wishes of her friends, who considered the match beneath her; that my grandfather Reed was so irritated at her disobedience, he cut her off without a shilling; that after my mother and father had been married a year, the latter caught the typhus fever while visiting among the poor of a large manufacturing town where his curacy was situated, and where that disease was then prevalent: that my mother took the infection from him, and both died within a month of each other.
Noel Vanstone, who had never yet seen her as he saw her now, was enchanted; his weak head whirled with an intoxication of enjoyment; his wizen cheeks flushed as if they had caught the infection from hers.
Similarly, though with a subtle difference, a species of fervour or intoxication, known, without doubt, to have led some persons to brave the guillotine unnecessarily, and to die by it, was not mere boastfulness, but a wild infection of the wildly shaken public mind.
It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour.
A dream of their coming in with Dora; of the pew-opener arranging us, like a drill-sergeant, before the altar rails; of my wondering, even then, why pew-openers must always be the most disagreeable females procurable, and whether there is any religious dread of a disastrous infection of good-humour which renders it indispensable to set those vessels of vinegar upon the road to Heaven.
Nor did ISRAEL scape Th' infection when their borrow'd Gold compos'd The Calf in OREB: and the Rebel King Doubl'd that sin in BETHEL and in DAN, Lik'ning his Maker to the Grazed Ox, JEHOVAH, who in one Night when he pass'd From EGYPT marching, equal'd with one stroke Both her first born and all her bleating Gods.
Even the honest hands must have caught the infection. for there was not one man aboard to mend another.
I carried the infection of crime with me, and she has caught it as she would the typhus fever, the cholera, the plague
Ah, friend, an infectious disease is indeed a misfortune, for now we poor and miserable folk must perforce keep apart from one another, lest the infection be increased.
One and all seemed to have caught the infection from the fireside circle, and were outvying each other in wild wishes, and childish projects of what they would do when they came to be men and women.
The infection spread into the town of Boston, and made much havoc there.