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infect
(redirected from infectors)

   Also found in: Medical 0.03 sec.
in·fect  (n-fkt)
tr.v. in·fect·ed, in·fect·ing, in·fects
1. To contaminate with a pathogenic microorganism or agent.
2. To communicate a pathogen or disease to.
3. To invade and produce infection in.
4. To contaminate or corrupt: envy that infected their thoughts; a society that was infected by racism.
5. To affect in a contagious way: "His fear infected me, and . . . I followed as fast as I could" W.H. Hudson.

[Middle English infecten, to afflict with disease, from Latin nficere, nfect-, to stain, infect (in-, in; see in-2 + facere, to do; see dh- in Indo-European roots).]

infect
Verb
1. to contaminate (a person or thing) with a germ or virus or its consequent disease
2. to taint or contaminate
3. to affect with an opinion or feeling as if by contagion: even she was infected by the excitement [Latin inficere to stain]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Verb1.infect - communicate a disease to; "Your children have infected you with this head cold"
canker - infect with a canker
give - cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense; "She gave him a black eye"; "The draft gave me a cold"
2.infect - contaminate with a disease or microorganism
superinfect - infect (an infected cell) further or infect a cell already containing similar organisms
smut - affect with smut or mildew, as of a crop such as corn
contaminate, pollute, foul - make impure; "The industrial wastes polluted the lake"
disinfect - destroy microorganisms or pathogens by cleansing; "disinfect a wound"
3.infect - corrupt with ideas or an ideology; "society was infected by racism"
corrupt, debase, debauch, demoralise, demoralize, deprave, misdirect, pervert, profane, vitiate, subvert - corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality; "debauch the young people with wine and women"; "Socrates was accused of corrupting young men"; "Do school counselors subvert young children?"; "corrupt the morals"
4.infect - affect in a contagious way; "His laughter infects everyone who is in the same room"
impress, strike, affect, move - have an emotional or cognitive impact upon; "This child impressed me as unusually mature"; "This behavior struck me as odd"

infect
verb 1. contaminate, transmit disease to, spread disease to or among
Translations
Spanish infect [ɪnˈfɛkt] vt [+ wound] → infectar [+ person]; contagiar;
(fig) (pej) → corromper;
infected with [illness] → contagiado de;
to become infected [wound] → infectarse

French infect [ɪnˈfɛkt] vt [+ wound] → infecter [+ person, blood]; contaminer (fig pej); corrompre;
infected with [illness] → atteint(e) de;
to become infected [wound] → s'infecter

German infect [ɪnˈfɛkt] vtanstecken (also fig)infizieren;
(food) → verseuchen;
to become infected (wound) → sich entzünden

Italian infect [ɪnˈfɛkt] vtinfettare;
infected with [+ illness] → affetto/a da;
to become infected [wound] → infettarsi

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? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
Because women were perceived as the infectors of men, women were disproportionately targeted for legislation.
An abundance of other tick targets could dilute the concentration of such dangerously good infectors and thus slow disease spread, the researchers suggest.
 
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