Etymology

inoculate

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Today it means: To introduce an antigenic substance or vaccine into something (e.g. the body) or someone, such as to produce immunity to a specific disease. Full definition →

First used c. 1722Middle English inoculaten ← Latin inoculātus
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inoculate · verb1

  1. Latin · derived frominoculātus
  2. Middle English · inherited frominoculaten“to graft”
  3. English todayinoculate

First attested in c. 1440; inherited from Middle English inoculaten (“to graft”), from Latin inoculātus, perfect passive participle of inoculō (“to ingraft an eye or bud of one plant into (another), implant”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from in- (“in”) + oculus (“an eye”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix).

inoculate · noun2

Back-formation from inoculation, see -ate (noun-forming suffix).

First known use, by meaning

  • from c. 1722 To introduce an antigenic substance or vaccine into something (e.g. the body) or someone, such as to produce immunity to a specific disease.
  • from c. 1420 To graft by inserting buds.
  • from a. 1600 To introduce into the mind (used especially of harmful ideas or principles).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.