Main Entry: in·oc·u·late

Pronunciation: \i-ˈnä-kyə-ˌlāt\

Function: transitive verb

Inflected Form(s): in·oc·u·lat·ed; in·oc·u·lat·ing

Etymology: Middle English, to insert a bud in a plant, from Latin inoculatus, past participle of inoculare, from in- + oculus eye, bud — more at eye

Date: 1721

1 a : to introduce a microorganism into <inoculate mice with anthrax> <beans inoculated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria> b : to introduce (as a microorganism) into a suitable situation for growth c : to introduce immunologically active material (as an antibody or antigen) into especially in order to treat or prevent a disease <inoculate children against diphtheria>
2 : to introduce something into the mind of
3 : to protect as if by inoculation

synonyms see infuse

— in·oc·u·la·tive \-ˌlā-tiv\ adjective

— in·oc·u·la·tor \-ˌlā-tər\ noun