Contagious — Con*ta gious, a. [L. contagiosus: cf. F. contagieux.] 1. (Med.) Communicable by contact, by a virus, or by a bodily exhalation; catching; as, a contagious disease. [1913 Webster] 2. Conveying or generating disease; pestilential; poisonous; as,… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
contagious — A contagious disease is one transmitted by physical contact, as distinct from an infectious disease, which is transmitted by micro organisms in the air or in water. In figurative use, contagious and infectious overlap in modifying positive or… … Modern English usage
contagious — [kən tā′jəs] adj. [OFr contagieus < LL contagiosus] 1. spread by direct or indirect contact; communicable: said of diseases 2. carrying, or liable to transmit, the causative agent of a contagious disease 3. for the care of contagious patients… … English World dictionary
contagious — ► ADJECTIVE 1) (of a disease) spread by direct or indirect contact between people or organisms. 2) having a contagious disease. 3) (of an emotion, attitude, etc.) likely to spread to and affect others. DERIVATIVES contagiously adverb… … English terms dictionary
contagious — I adjective catching, communicable, contaminating, conveyable, epidemic, impartible, infectious, infective, pathogenic, pestiferous, spreading, transferable, transmissible, transmissive II index pestilent Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C.… … Law dictionary
contagious — late 14c., from O.Fr. contagieus (Mod.Fr. contagieux), from L.L. contagiosus, from L. contagio (see CONTACT (Cf. contact)) … Etymology dictionary
contagious — *infectious, communicable, catching Analogous words: toxic, pestilential, pestilent, virulent, mephitic, mias mic (see POISONOUS) … New Dictionary of Synonyms
contagious — [adj] communicable catching, deadly, endemic, epidemic, epizootic, impartible, infectious, inoculable, pestiferous, pestilential, poisonous, spreading, taking, transmissible, transmittable; concept 314 Ant. noncommunicable … New thesaurus
contagious — contagiously, adv. contagiousness, contagiosity /keuhn tay jee os i tee/, n. /keuhn tay jeuhs/, adj. 1. capable of being transmitted by bodily contact with an infected person or object: contagious diseases. 2. carrying or spreading a contagious… … Universalium
contagious — con•ta•gious [[t]kənˈteɪ dʒəs[/t]] adj. 1) pat capable of being transmitted by bodily contact with an infected person or object: contagious diseases[/ex] 2) pat carrying or spreading a contagious disease 3) tending to spread from person to person … From formal English to slang
