infectious
/ɪnˈfɛk.ʃəs/ adjective
- adjective (pathology, of an illness) Caused by an agent that enters the host's body (such as a bacterium, virus, parasite, or prion); often, also, transmitted among hosts via any of various routes (for example, contact, droplet-borne, airborne, waterborne, foodborne, fomite-borne, or bloodborne). “Cancer is usually not infectious.”
- adjective (pathology, typically of a person) Able to infect others; capable of transmitting pathogens. “Despite feeling better, the patient is still infectious.”
- adjective (of feelings and behaviour) Spreading quickly from one person to another. “infectious smile”
- adjective (informal) Memorable and invoking excitement or interest. “Pop music is more infectious than elevator music.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from New Latin īnfectiōsus. By surface analysis, infect + -ious.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Having qualities that may infect; communicable or caused by infection; pestilential; epidemic; as, an infectious fever; infectious clothing; infectious air; infectious vices.
- adjective Corrupting, or tending to corrupt or contaminate; vitiating; demoralizing.
Etymology [Cf. F. infectieux.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “infectious”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details