Inoculation

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
inoculation
    n 1: taking a vaccine as a precaution against contracting a
         disease [syn: {inoculation}, {vaccination}]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Inoculation \In*oc"u*la"tion\, n. [L. inoculatio: cf. F.
   inoculation.]
   1. The act or art of inoculating trees or plants.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Med.) The act or practice of communicating a disease to a
      person in health, by inserting contagious matter in his
      skin or flesh, usually for the purpose of inducing
      immunity to the disease.
      [1913 Webster +PJC]

   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. The organisms
         inoculated are usually an attentuated form of the
         disease-causing organism, which may multiply harmlessly
         in the body of the host, but induce immunity to the
         more virulent forms of the organism.
         [1913 Webster +PJC]

   3. Fig.: The communication of principles, especially false
      principles, to the mind.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. (Microbiology) The introduction of microorganisms into a
      growth medium, to cause the growth and multiplication of
      the microorganisms.
      [PJC]
    
from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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

    

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