See Also: Inoculate(medicine)
inoculate(dictionary)
inoculate(dictionary)

inoculate (iou)



inoculate verb. LME.
[Latin inoculat- pa. ppl stem of inoculare engraft, implant, formed as IN-2 + oculus eye, bud: see -ATE3.]
verb trans. Horticulture. Graft (a bud, a shoot) into a plant of a different type; subject (a plant) to budding. Now rare or obsolete. LME.
fig.: Shakespeare Hamlet Virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it.
Medicine & Biology.
a. verb trans. Introduce (an infective agent) into an organism. Also, introduce (cells or organisms) into a culture medium. E18.
b. verb trans. Introduce an infective agent into (an organism), esp. so as to immunize against a disease; vaccinate. Also, introduce cells or organisms into (a culture medium). E18.
c. verb intrans. Perform inoculation. M18.
d. verb trans. fig. Imbue (a person, community, etc.) with a feeling, habit, etc. E19.
verb trans. Metallurgy. Add a substance to (a molten metal) in order to modify the microstructure of the cast metal. M20.
inoculative adjective characterized by or pertaining to inoculation E18.
inoculator noun E17.