inoculation
/ɪˌnɒkjuˈleɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪˌnɑːkjuˈleɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /i-ˌnä-kyə-ˈlā-shən/ (ame, mw)
inoculation — noun
- inoculationsingular
- inoculationsplural
1. the medical process of giving a person or animal a vaccine or a small controlled
the medical process of giving a person or animal a vaccine or a small controlled dose so the body learns to resist a disease
The nurse gave Mila an inoculation before the school trip abroad.
give someone an inoculation — common medical pattern
After the dog bite, Yusuf went to hospital for a rabies inoculation.
inoculation for [disease] after exposure
Every recruit was given an inoculation on the first training day.
The travel clinic scheduled Camila's typhoid inoculation two weeks before departure.
- vaccination
The more usual modern term, especially in everyday health news.
- immunisation
Broader term that can include both the injection and the protection it creates.
- shot
Informal word that focuses on the injection rather than the process.
用法筆記
Often used in medical or public-health writing. It can refer either to the act of giving the protection or to one dose a person receives.
常見錯誤
2. the deliberate placing of germs or other living material into a plant, animal, o
the deliberate placing of germs or other living material into a plant, animal, or growth medium for testing or to start growth there
Researchers used leaf cuts for inoculation with the fungus in the greenhouse.
inoculation with [organism] in research
The lab delayed inoculation of the mice until the safety checks were complete.
inoculation of [test subjects] in an experiment
Warm soil speeds inoculation when farmers add helpful bacteria to bean roots.
Dr. Okafor recorded the time of inoculation before sealing the culture jars.
- introduction
Broader scientific term that does not specifically suggest a controlled biological transfer.
- seeding
Used for starting growth in a medium, especially in laboratory contexts.
- infection
Usually describes what happens as a result, not the planned experimental act.
用法筆記
Common in laboratory, agriculture, and plant-disease writing. It is often followed by with to name the organism being introduced.
3. something that makes a person less affected by a later problem because they have
something that makes a person less affected by a later problem because they have already met a smaller version of it
Working at the front desk was Tara's first inoculation against rude customers.
inoculation against [future difficulty] — figurative use
The early review gave the young band an inoculation against harsh online comments.
One difficult sales call can be an inoculation before a week of rejections.
For Leo, weekend debate club was an inoculation against stage fright.
- preparation
Broader word for getting ready, without the idea of controlled early exposure.
- hardening
Stronger and often more negative, suggesting emotional toughening.
- conditioning
Can describe training over time rather than one early experience.
用法筆記
Usually figurative and often followed by against. It suggests a small early dose of difficulty that makes later pressure easier to handle.