inoculate

verb in·oc·u·late \ i-ˈnä-kyə-ˌlāt \

Definition of inoculate

inoculated; inoculating

1 a : to introduce a microorganism into

inoculate mice with anthrax

beans inoculated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria

b : to introduce (something, such as a microorganism) into a suitable situation for growth

c : to introduce immunologically active material (such 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

—

inoculative

play \i-ˈnä-kyə-ˌlā-tiv\ adjective

—

inoculator

play \i-ˈnä-kyə-ˌlā-tər\ noun

See inoculate defined for English-language learners

See inoculate defined for kids

inoculate was our Word of the Day on 09/15/2017. Hear the podcast!

Examples of inoculate in a Sentence

inoculated them with the idea that the individual can always make a difference in this world

Recent Examples of inoculate from the Web

McConnell's vocal push to change the blue slip could inoculate from some of that criticism.

— ted barrett, CNN, "Grassley not planning to change 'blue slip' procedure for judicial nominees," 11 Oct. 2017
Fairy tales were meant to inoculate us against dread, or so the theory goes; to offer children controlled exposure to frightening things — to jealousy, to adult sexuality.

— parul sehgal, New York Times, "Fairy Tales About the Fears Within," 4 Oct. 2017
Even when outnumbered ten to one in a petri dish, S. lugdunensis managed to kill off encroaching S. aureus, an upset that researchers confirmed by inoculating the noses of lab rats with mixtures of the two bacteria.

— martin oeggerli, National Geographic, "Antibiotic Found in Noses—Here’s What You Need to Know," 27 July 2016
It was announced on Thursday that a bipartisan group in the Senate is introducing legislation to inoculate Mueller from potential presidential attempts to fire him and obstruct his investigation.

— dahlia lithwick, Slate Magazine, "Republicans want to trash another century-old Senate norm to help Trump.," 12 Sep. 2017
The traditional process involves inoculating a grain (usually rice) with a mold called koji and using that to ferment a protein-rich legume (usually soy).

— amiel stanek, Bon Appetit, "These Misos Have Nothing to Do With Soybeans," 20 June 2017
But both the Alliance for Justice and conservative groups think the airing of the religious issue has inoculated Barrett from such future attacks if she is nominated for a future Supreme Court opening.

— maureen groppe, Indianapolis Star, "Donnelly one of few Democrats to back Notre Dame professor for federal judge," 31 Oct. 2017
If your compost material contains no soil, sprinkle a little soil or a compost starter in each layer to inoculate the pile with microorganisms.

— don sorrell, Cincinnati.com, "Consider composting yard, garden waste," 10 Sep. 2017
So your read of the literature is that among a group of people who are vulnerable to something like addiction, increasing awareness about the benefits of sobriety could inoculate them against it?

— jesse singal, Daily Intelligencer, "Is the U.S. Declining Because Americans Abandoned ‘Bourgeois Values’?," 9 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inoculate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

If you think you see a connection between "inoculate" and "ocular" ("of or relating to the eye"), you are not mistaken - both words look back to "oculus," the Latin word for "eye." But what does the eye have to do with inoculation? Our answer lies in the original use in English of "inoculate" in Middle English: "to insert a bud in a plant." Latin oculus was sometimes applied to things that were seen to resemble eyes, and one such thing was the bud of a plant. "Inoculate" was later applied to other forms of engrafting or implanting, including the introduction of vaccines as a preventative against disease.

Origin and Etymology of inoculate

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1721

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

inoculate Synonyms

Synonyms

endue (or indue), imbue, inculcate, infuse, ingrain (also engrain), invest, steep, suffuse;

Near Antonyms

deprive, divest, strip;

clear, empty;

eliminate, remove, take away;

implant, instill, plant;

impregnate, permeate, pervade, saturate;

deluge, drown, fill, flood, inundate, overwhelm, submerge;

Synonym Discussion of inoculate

infuse, suffuse, imbue, ingrain, inoculate, leaven mean to introduce one thing into another so as to affect it throughout. infuse implies a pouring in of something that gives new life or significance.

- new members infused enthusiasm into the club

suffuse implies a spreading through of something that gives an unusual color or quality.

- a room suffused with light

imbue implies the introduction of a quality that fills and permeates the whole being.

- imbue students with intellectual curiosity

ingrain, used only in the passive or past participle, suggests the deep implanting of a quality or trait.

- clung to ingrained habits

inoculate implies an imbuing or implanting with a germinal idea and often suggests stealth or subtlety.

- an electorate inoculated with dangerous ideas

leaven implies introducing something that enlivens, tempers, or markedly alters the total quality.

- a serious play leavened with comic moments

Other Microbiology Terms

pathogen, salmonella, tetanus

INOCULATE Defined for English Language Learners

inoculate

verb

Definition of inoculate for English Language Learners

medical : to give (a person or animal) a weakened form of a disease in order to prevent infection by the disease

INOCULATE Defined for Kids

inoculate

verb in·oc·u·late \ i-ˈnä-kyə-ˌlāt \

Definition of inoculate for Students

inoculated; inoculating

: to inject a material (as a vaccine) into to protect against or treat a disease

History for inoculate

Similar to the way that we use “eye” for the undeveloped bud on a potato, the Romans used the Latin word oculus, “eye,” to mean “bud of a plant.” Having learned that the oculus or bud from one plant can be grafted onto another, the Romans derived the verb inoculare from oculus to refer to the process of grafting. English borrowed this verb as inoculate with the same meaning. Introducing a small amount of material to make a person immune to a disease is like implanting a bud, so the verb inoculate was also used for this procedure.