autoinoculation

American

[aw-toh-i-nok-yuh-ley-shuhn] / ˌɔ toʊ ɪˌnɒk yəˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

inoculation of a healthy part with an infective agent from a diseased part of the same body.

autoinoculation British

/ ˌɔːtəʊɪˌnɒkjʊˈleɪʃən /

noun

the inoculation of microorganisms (esp viruses) from one part of the body into another, usually in the form of a vaccine

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

autoinoculability noun
autoinoculable adjective

Etymology

Origin of autoinoculation

auto- ¹ + inoculation

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Dr. Valentine calls this an “autoinoculation” effect, and it could be important in future scientific work — for instance, in predicting what might happen if a large amount of methane gets injected into the ocean by global warming.

From New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023