infect

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈfɛkt/

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. verb communicate a disease to
  2. verb contaminate with a disease or microorganism
  3. verb corrupt with ideas or an ideology

Etymology

From Middle French infect, from Latin infectus, perfect passive participle of inficiō (“dye, taint”).

In classic literature

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
give
Narrower (hyponyms)
canker

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