You inoculate to protect from disease.
When you get your dog a rabies shot, this is an example of a situation where you inoculate your dog against rabies.
transitive verb-·lat·ed, -·lat·ing
- to inject a serum, vaccine, etc. into (a living organism), esp. in order to create immunity
- to communicate (a disease) in this way
- to put or implant microorganisms into (soil, a culture medium, etc.) to develop a culture, stimulate growth, fix nitrogen, etc.
- to introduce ideas, etc. into the mind of; imbue
Origin of inoculateMiddle English enoculaten from Classical Latin inoculatus, past participle of inoculare, to engraft a bud in another plant from in-, in + oculus, a bud, eye
transitive verbin·oc·u·lat·ed, in·oc·u·lat·ing, in·oc·u·lates
- To introduce a serum, vaccine, or antigenic substance into (the body of a person or animal), especially to produce or boost immunity to a specific disease.
- To communicate a disease to (a living organism) by transferring its causative agent into the organism.
- To implant microorganisms or infectious material into (a culture medium).
- To safeguard as if by inoculation; protect: “A lapsed idealist, [she] has been inoculated against life's disappointments by her own skepticism” ( John Lahr )
- To introduce an idea or attitude into the mind of: “Young people … are inoculated with the fervor, and are heard about the streets, singing the temperance songs” ( Walt Whitman )
Origin of inoculateMiddle English inoculaten to graft a scion from Latin inoculāre inoculāt- in- in ; see in- 2. oculus eye, bud ; see okw- in Indo-European roots.
(third-person singular simple present inoculates, present participle inoculating, simple past and past participle inoculated)
- (immunology) To introduce an antigenic substance or vaccine into the body to produce immunity to a specific disease.
- (by extension) To safeguard or protect something as if by inoculation.
- To add one substance to another; to spike.
- The culture medium was inoculated with selenium to investigate the rate of uptake.
- To graft by inserting buds.
- to inoculate the bud of one tree or plant into another
- to inoculate a tree
- (figuratively) To introduce into the mind (used especially of harmful ideas or principles); to imbue.
- to inoculate someone with treason or infidelity