fomite
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singular of
fomites.
fomitesplural nounsurfaces, as clothing or door handles, that can become contaminated with pathogens when touched by the carrier of an infection, and can then transmit the pathogens to those who next touch the surfaces.
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.
The authors add: "Regular surface infection is much more effective than regular handwashing for blocking norovirus transmission via fomite route in airports."
From Science Daily ● Dec. 5, 2024
Two things we all know about our phones: Charging them is a hassle, and their shiny surfaces are a perfect medium for fomite transmission.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2021
And I think that actually looking at this as a respiratory virus, that had the potential for aerosolization, for droplets, or for fomite spread, I thought it was important to cover all of those possibilities.
From Slate ● Nov. 30, 2020
How did you feel when you learned that fomite transmission wasn’t a huge risk factor?
From Slate ● Nov. 30, 2020
“It’s not at all uncommon to not have strong epidemiological evidence for fomite transmission,” she said, “but that doesn’t mean that fomite transmission doesn’t happen.”
From Washington Post ● Oct. 22, 2020