inoculate

present singular third person inoculates · participle present inoculating · participle past inoculated · past inoculated · alternative innoculate

1. transitiveimmunologyTo introduce an antigenic substance or vaccine into something (e.g. the body) or someone, such as to produce immunity to a specific disease.First known use c. 1722

   The sense that it takes outrageous fortune to get inoculated echoes here in the Bay Area, where pharmacies have canceled flu-shot clinics, doctors turn away pleading patients and health officials are reduced to telling panicked callers that they should practice good personal hygiene.

   2004 October 29, Marco R. Della Cava, “Vaccine shortage pricks tempers”, in Statesman Journal, volume 152, number 214, Salem, OR, page 2A

   1 more example

   But you would not willingly thus give up the Cause; therefore endeavour to draw others into your Assistance, and venture to assert, that by the Account Dr. Nettleton gives, as also by the best Observation upon those who have been Inoculated in this City, scarcely a fourth part of them have had a true and genuine Small Pox.

   1722, John Crawford, The Case of Inoculating the Small-pox Consider'd: And Its Advantages Asserted; in a Review of Dr. Wagstaffe's Letter. Wherein Every Thing that Author Has Advanced Against It, is Fully Confuted: and Inoculation Proved a Safe, Beneficial, and Laudable Practice.

   Synonyms: immunize, vaccinate, vaccine

2. broadlytransitiveTo safeguard or protect something as if by inoculation.

   Her upbringing overseas inoculated her against prejudice.

   2 more examples

   This made it possible for them to enjoy the media without personally changing their views in ways that they believed it changed the views of others. In a sense, they believed that their religion inoculated them against the media's negative effects.

   2005 October 27, Lynn Schofield Clark, From Angels to Aliens: Teenagers, the Media, and the Supernatural, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 20

   Lenihan insisted that, given their history both as a former colony and a net exporter of people round the world, the Irish were better inoculated against racism and xenophobia than other EU nations[…]

   2011 November 7, Guy Arnold, Migration: Changing the World, Pluto Books, →ISBN

3. transitiveTo add one substance to another.

   The culture medium was inoculated with selenium to investigate the rate of uptake.

   Synonyms: spike

4. transitiveTo graft by inserting buds.First known use c. 1420

   to inoculate a tree

   2 more examples

   to inoculate the bud of one tree or plant into another

   And in Aprill figtreen inoculate

   c. 1420, anonymous author, edited by Barton Lodge, On husbondrie, Published for the Early English Text Society, by N. Trübner & Co., translation of original by Rutilius Taurus Aemilianus Palladius, published 1872

5. figurativelytransitiveTo introduce into the mind (used especially of harmful ideas or principles).First known use a. 1600

   to inoculate someone with treason or infidelity

   2 more examples

   You ſhould not haue beleeu'd me, for vertue cannot ſo e[n]oculat our old ſtock, but vve ſhall reliſh of it, I loued you not.

   c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (Second Quarto), London: […] I[ames] R[oberts] for N[icholas] L[ing] […], published 1604, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], signature G2, verso

   The Church tries to inoculate humanity with the imaginary goodness drawn down from a fabulous heaven, and from a priest-manufactured God.

   1860, John Watts, The Christian Doctrine of Man's Depravity Refuted, Watts & Company, page 14

   Synonyms: imbue, implant

plural inoculates · alternative innoculate

1. Synonym of inoculum.

   Synonyms: inoculum