Inoculate \In*oc"u*late\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Inoculated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Inoculating}.] [L. inoculatus, p. p. of inoculare to ingraft; pref. in- in, on + oculare to furnish with eyes, fr. oculus an eye, also, a bud. See {Ocular}.] 1. To bud; to insert, or graft, as the bud of a tree or plant in another tree or plant.
2. To insert a foreign bud into; as, to inoculate a tree.
3. (Med.) To communicate a disease to (a person) by inserting infectious matter in the skin or flesh, especially as a means of inducing immunological resistance to that or related diseases; as, to inoculate a person with the virus of smallpox, rabies, etc. See {Vaccinate}. [1913 Webster +PJC]
4. Fig.: To introduce into the mind; -- used especially of harmful ideas or principles; to imbue; as, to inoculate one with treason or infidelity.
5. (Microbiology) To introduce microorganisms into (a growth medium), to cause the growth and multiplication of the microorganisms; as, to inoculate a fermentation vat with an actinomycete culture in order to produce streptomycin. [PJC]
Inoculate \In*oc"u*late\, v. i. 1. To graft by inserting buds.
2. To communicate disease by inoculation.
British and U.S. military officials have not given details of plans to inoculate troops against biological weapons, which are germs used to carry diseases such as cholera, anthrax and typhoid.
As a form of immunotherapy, he proposes using whole but inactivated AIDS virus to inoculate people already infected.
A New Jersey company is offering to "inoculate" computers against "viruses," or rogue programs that are designed to spread from computer to computer and damage data the computers store.