in·oc·u·late
 inoculate
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- pronunciation:
- ih
nak
y
leIt
- features:
- Word History, Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
verb |
| inflections: |
inoculates, inoculating, inoculated |
| definition: |
to inject with a very small amount of a disease to help resist that disease in the future.
They inoculated me with the flu so I wouldn't be sick with it this winter. |
| derivations: |
inoculative (adj.), inoculator (n.) |
Inoculate is from a Latin word that means "to put a bud into," which is how the grafting of a tree was done. In grafting, a bud from one tree is planted into another tree, so that the two parts will grow together into one, superior plant. An inoculation puts germs into the body to grow, so that the body will develop immunity to diseases.