inoculate: Meaning and Definition of

in•oc•u•late

Pronunciation: (i-nok'yu-lāt"), [key]
— v., -lat•ed, -lat•ing.
—v.t.
  1. to implant (a disease agent or antigen) in a person, animal, or plant to produce a disease for study or to stimulate disease resistance.
  2. to affect or treat (a person, animal, or plant) in this manner.
  3. to introduce (microorganisms) into surroundings suited to their growth, as a culture medium.
  4. to imbue (a person), as with ideas.
  5. to treat (molten metal) chemically to strengthen the microstructure.
—v.i.
  1. to perform inoculation.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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