infect

From Middle French infect, from Latin infectus, perfect passive participle of inficiō (“dye, taint”).

• IPA^(key): /ɪnˈfɛkt/
• Rhymes: -ɛkt

infect (third-person singular simple present infects, present participle infecting, simple past and past participle infected)

1. (transitive) To bring into contact with a substance that causes illness (a pathogen).
   • 2013 May-June, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 193:

     Bats host many high-profile viruses that can infect humans, including severe acute respiratory syndrome and Ebola.

2. (transitive) To make somebody enthusiastic about one's own passion.

   Her passion for dancing has infected me.

• disinfect

• infection
• infectible

• infectious

infect (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Infected.
   • 1602, William Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida, I. iii. 187:

     And in the imitation of these twain, / Who, as Ulysses says, opinion crowns / With an imperial voice, many are infect.

• netfic

Borrowed from Latin infectus.

• IPA^(key): /ɛ̃fɛkt/

infect (feminine singular infecte, masculine plural infects, feminine plural infectes)

1. vile, loathsome
2. revolting, disgusting

• répugnant, dégueulasse, immonde

• “infect” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).