fomite

noun

fo·​mite ˈfō-ˌmīt 

plural fomites ˈfō-ˌmīts  ˈfä-mə-ˌtēz  ˈfō- 

: an object (such as a dish, doorknob, or article of clothing) that may be contaminated with infectious agents (such as bacteria or viruses) and serve in their transmission

Did you know?

"Disinfectant on your hands keeps us healthier and fomites no longer foment as much disease." Australian newspaper contributor Peter Goers was likely going for alliteration when he paired up fomite and foment, a verb meaning "to promote the growth or development of"—but, whether he realized it or not, the words fomite and foment are related. Fomite is a back-formation of fomites, the Latin plural of fomes, itself a word for "tinder." (Much like tinder is a catalyst of fire, a fomite can kindle disease.) Fomes is related to the Latin verb fovēre ("to heat"), an ancestor of foment.

Examples of fomite in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The majority of the illness is passed through contaminated food and fomites, inanimate objects or surfaces that a contaminated individual touched. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025

Avian flu can be transmitted by fomites (contaminated surfaces), droplets, and aerosols. —Judy Stone, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

In emails, Mid-Michigan health officials hypothesized that the cats acquired the virus from droplets, known as fomites, on their owners’ hands or clothing. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024

Colds are spread two ways: from person to person and by contaminated surfaces called fomites. —Sarah Bradley, Health, 6 Oct. 2024

Hand contacts with fomites and mucous membranes are a potentially dangerous combination. —Sabrina Sholts, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024

Then the pathogens can survive and remain infectious on fomites for varying lengths of time, from a few hours in some cases to several months in others depending on variables related to the pathogen, the fomite and their environmental conditions. —Sabrina Sholts, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024

Contracting mpox through indirect contact with fomites, including clothes, bed linens and towels, is low. —Noor Adatia, Dallas News, 1 June 2023

At this point, the weight of the evidence suggests that the monkeypox virus can exist as an aerosol — either as a respiratory particle or as a fomite that’s been resuspended — but that inhaling these aerosols is not a major factor driving the epidemic. —Megan Molteni, STAT, 12 Aug. 2022

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from fomites, from New Latin, plural of fomit-, fomes, from Latin, kindling wood; akin to Latin fovēre to heat — more at foment

First Known Use

1803, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fomite

• affright
• airtight
• albite
• alight
• alright
• aplite
• aright
• bainite
• birthright
• bobwhite
• bornite
• bullfight

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Medical Definition

fomite

noun

fo·​mite ˈfō-ˌmīt 

plural fomites -ˌmīts; ˈfäm-ə-ˌtēz  ˈfōm- 

: an object (as a dish, toy, book, doorknob, or article of clothing) that may be contaminated with infectious agents (as bacteria or viruses) and serve in their transmission

the much maligned toilet seat is a remarkably ineffective fomite

—M. F. Rein

what are the most common fomites for rotavirus in day-care settings

—Pediatric Report's Child Health Newsletter