inoculate

play

verb in·oc·u·late \i-ˈnä-kyə-ˌlāt\

Definition of inoculate

inoculated

;

inoculating

transitive verb
1a : to introduce a microorganism into inoculate mice with anthrax beans inoculated with nitrogen-fixing bacteriab : to introduce (something, such as a microorganism) into a suitable situation for growthc : 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

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

Of the 13 that were inoculated nearly five years ago, four have developed a prion disease.

— john fauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A family of fatal brain diseases has baffled scientists while infecting new species", 6 July 2017
The Asian crisis clearly shows that an economy’s past successes can’t inoculate it from future disasters.

— michael schuman, Bloomberg.com, "What South Korea’s 1997 Meltdown Can Teach China in 2017", 29 June 2017
Jesse Lazear, a scientist working with Walter Reed to help prove how yellow fever was transmitted in Cuba, died after inoculating himself with an infected mosquito in 1900.

— erin blakemore, Washington Post, "Some scientists have been their own guinea pigs in the lab", 24 June 2017
There is a theory that the disease affects those who live in malaria-prone environments, since certain forms of the disease seem to actually inoculate against malaria.

— aliya s. king, The Root, "Mobb Deep’s Prodigy and Sickle Cell: What You Need to Know About a Disease That Takes Down the Young", 21 June 2017
A younger population is driving this desire for change and the Saudis know that the monarchy cannot inoculate itself from the internet and modern life.

— nic robertson, CNN, "What Saudi Arabia's royal reshuffle means for the world", 21 June 2017
OEC specializes in sour and wild ales, in which wild yeast or bacteria is intentionally introduced or allowed to inoculate the beer.

— leeanne griffin, courant.com, "OEC Brewing: Creating Sour and Wild Ales For Adventurous Tastebuds", 19 June 2017
The strategy does, however, enable the filmmakers to keep Bell in a bubble, inoculated from the disapproval her work received in subsequent years.

— glenn kenny, The Seattle Times, "‘Letters From Baghdad’ review: a portrait of trailblazer Gertrude Bell", 14 June 2017
The strategy does, however, enable the filmmakers to keep Bell in a bubble, inoculated from the disapproval her work received in subsequent years.

— glenn kenny, The Seattle Times, "‘Letters From Baghdad’ review: a portrait of trailblazer Gertrude Bell", 14 June 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!

First Known Use: 1721

See Words from the same year

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

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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

play

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.

Medical Dictionary

inoculate

play

verb in·oc·u·late \in-ˈäk-yə-ˌlāt\

Medical Definition of inoculate

inoculated

;

inoculating

1
transitive verb

: to communicate a disease to (an organism) by inserting its causative agent into the body 12 mice inoculated with anthrax

2a: to introduce microorganisms or viruses onto or into (an organism, substrate, or culture medium) inoculated a rat with bacteriab: to introduce (as a microorganism or antiserum) into an organism or onto a culture medium inoculate a pure culture of bacteria into a healthy host
3: to introduce immunologically active material (as an antibody or antigen) into especially in order to treat or prevent a disease inoculate children against diphtheria
intransitive verb