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  • inject
    inject
    verb (used with object)
    to force (a fluid) into a passage, cavity, or tissue.
  • inject.
    inject.
    abbreviation
    (in prescriptions) an injection.
Synonyms

inject

1 American  
[in-jekt] / ɪnˈdʒɛkt /

verb (used with object)

injects, present (3rd person singular) injected, past participle, past injecting present participle
  1. to force (a fluid) into a passage, cavity, or tissue.

    to inject a medicine into the veins.

  2. to introduce (something new or different).

    to inject humor into a situation.

  3. to introduce arbitrarily or inappropriately; intrude.

  4. to interject (a remark, suggestion, etc.), as into conversation.


inject. 2 American  

abbreviation

  1. (in prescriptions) an injection.


inject British  
/ ɪnˈdʒɛkt /

verb

  1. med to introduce (a fluid) into (the body of a person or animal) by means of a syringe or similar instrument

  2. (foll by into) to introduce (a new aspect or element)

    to inject humour into a scene

  3. to interject (a comment, idea, etc)

  4. to place (a rocket, satellite, etc) in orbit

"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

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of inject1

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin injectus, past participle of in(j)icere “to throw in,” equivalent to in- “in” + -jec- (combining form of jac- “to throw”) + -tus past participle suffix; see in- 2

Origin of inject.2

From the Latin word injectiō

Explanation

To inject is to give an injection, or a shot. When your doctor tells you that you need a flu shot, she wants to inject you with a vaccine that will help keep you from getting sick. You are most likely to hear the verb inject at the doctor's office. Veterinarians inject dogs each year with rabies vaccines, and sometimes if you're sick enough, a doctor or nurse might need to inject you with antibiotics. You can use inject in a figurative way, too: "I'd like to inject a new topic into this conversation, it's getting so boring." The Latin root is inicere, "to throw in" or "to throw on."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing inject

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.

“Trump does the same material so much, people start yelling requests. They’re, like, ‘Do Inject Bleach!’”—

From New York Times • Dec. 19, 2023

Inject a cluster of neighborhoods with massive seed capital to leverage private and philanthropic commitments.

From Washington Post • Jun. 3, 2022

But an episode of Nip/Tuck, the plastic surgery TV show, gave Sanford an idea: Inject Botox to numb the limb.

From Science Magazine • May 11, 2022

Another way: Inject a piece of the coronavirus genetic code that instructs the body itself to produce spike protein that in turn primes the immune system to attack.

From Washington Times • May 4, 2020

Artificial respiration: Inject salt enemas; teaspoonful of salt to one pint of warm water.

From Mother's Remedies Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remedies from Mothers of the United States and Canada by Ritter, Thomas Jefferson

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