contagious Definition
con·ta·gious (-jəs)
adjective
- spread by direct or indirect contact; communicable: said of diseases
- carrying, or liable to transmit, the causative agent of a contagious disease
- for the care of contagious patients
- spreading or tending to spread from person to person contagious laughter
Etymology: OFr contagieus < LL contagiosus
contagious Related Forms
con·ta′·giously adverb
con·ta′·gious·ness noun
contagious Synonyms
contagious
modif.
contagious Usage Examples
Preposition: among
bird: Avian flu viruses circulate among birds worldwide and are highly contagious among birds.
Modifies a noun
- pleuropneumonia: UK: ( 1999 ) MRI to co-ordinate international research campaign on contagious bovine pleuropneumonia ( CBPP ).
- ecthyma: This fact sheet provides information on the causes, treatments and means of prevention for contagious ecthyma.
- mastitis: Maintain minimum levels of contagious mastitis in your herd.
- disease: An x-ray machine to screen for contagious diseases arrived just last Thursday.
- dermatitis: The occurrence in humans of contagious pustular dermatitis of sheep ( orf ).
- pathogen: The dipping practice was first introduced to prevent the spread of contagious pathogens during milking.
Modifying Another Word
- highly: Your good mood will be highly contagious, others will respond.
- extremely: Well cholera is extremely contagious, hence the quarantine.
- very: I was just playing this soft blues which is very contagious, catchy.
- so: Some of you perhaps understand better than I do why the initial infection proved to be so contagious.
- not: Get out there, be a part of life; we're not contagious, you know!
- mildly: Mildly Contagious Prolonged close contact with the carrier will allow the disease to transfer.
Used with adjective complement
- become: They do not dare to be free lest the spirit of liberty become contagious.
- prove: Kirkus Dawkins's enthusiasm for the diversity of life on this planet should prove contagious.
- remain: It is only removed upon the curing of a victim, therefore dead victims are still likely to remain contagious in some way.
Browse dictionary entries near contagious
- ‹ contagion
- ‹ contactor
- ‹ contact sport
- ‹ contact print
- ‹ contact lens
- ‹ contact flying
- ‹ contact dermatitis
- ‹ contact
- ‹ conté
- ‹ cont
- contagium ›
- contain ›
- container ›
- containerize ›
- containership ›
- containment ›
- contaminant ›
- contaminate ›
- contamination ›
- contango ›

