8 definitions found for Inoculation

Inoculation INOCULA'TION, n. [L. inoculatio.] The act or practice of inserting buds of one plant under the bark of another for propagation.
1. The act or practice of communicating a disease to a person in health, by inserting contagious matter in his skin or flesh. This practice is limited chiefly to the communication of the small pox,and of the cow pox, which is intended as a substitute for it. [See Vaccination.]

inoculation n 1: taking a vaccine as a precaution against contracting a disease [syn: inoculation, vaccination]

inoculation noun Date: 1714 1. the act or process or an instance of inoculating; especially the introduction of a pathogen or antigen into a living organism to stimulate the production of antibodies 2. inoculum

inoculation see inoculate

Inoculation is the introduction of disease germs into the system, usually by puncture of the skin or hypodermic injection; many diseases so introduced assume a mild form, and render the subject not liable to the severe form. Inoculation for smallpox, the virus being taken from actual smallpox pustules, was practised by the ancient Brahmans and by the Chinese 600 years before Christ, and its practice continued in the East. It was introduced to this country from Turkey in 1717, and extensively practised until superseded by Jenner's discovery of vaccination at the end of the century, and finally prohibited by law in 1840. Inoculation has been found successful in the prevention of other diseases, notably anthrax, hydrophobia, and recently malaria.

Inoculation In*oc"u*la"tion, n. [L. inoculatio: cf. F. inoculation.] 1. The act or art of inoculating trees or plants. 2. (Med.) The act or practice of communicating a disease to a person in health, by inserting contagious matter in his skin or flesh. Note: The use was formerly limited to the intentional communication of the smallpox, but is now extended to include any similar introduction of modified virus; as, the inoculation of rabies by Pasteur. 3. Fig.: The communication of principles, especially false principles, to the mind.

inoculation n. 1. Budding. 2. Vaccination.

51 Moby Thesaurus words for "inoculation": absorption and regurgitation, antitoxin, bang, booster, booster shot, brainwashing, catechization, conditioning, dictation, embedment, entrance, fix, graft, grafting, hit, hypodermic, hypodermic injection, imbuement, impaction, impactment, implantation, impregnation, impression, inculcation, indoctrination, infixation, infixion, infusion, injection, insertion, insinuation, instillation, instillment, interjection, interpolation, introduction, intromission, jet injection, mainlining, narcotic injection, penetration, perfusion, reindoctrination, shooting up, shot, skin-popping, tessellation, transplant, transplantation, vaccination, vaccine