What does "inoculate" mean?
Inoculate: To insert a foreign bud into; as, to inoculate a tree.
Additional senses
- 2.(Med.) To communicate a disease to ( a person ) by inserting infectious matter in the skin or flesh; as, to inoculate a person with the virus of smallpox,rabies, etc. See Vaccinate.
- 3.Fig.: To introduce into the mind; -- used especially of harmful ideas or principles; to imbue; as, to inoculate one with treason or infidelity.
- 4.To graft by inserting buds.
- 5.To communicate disease by inoculation.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00