Contagion
The spread of a disease or harmful influence from person to person by close contact or through contaminated objects; also the disease itself in its process of spreading.
nounContagion
The spread of a disease or harmful influence from person to person by close contact or through contaminated objects; also the disease itself in its process of spreading.
nounImagine This
Imagine a crowded subway car where one passenger coughs. In the minutes that follow, several other riders start showing symptoms, illustrating how contagion can spread from one person to another in a shared space.
Sounds Like
kun-TAY-jən
Looks Like
Looks like contagious (the related adjective) and hints at spread by contact.
Remember This
Contagion is about spreading through contact or proximity. The noun describes the spread itself or the disease in motion; the adjective contagious describes something that can spread.
Other Forms
Connect With
infection, transmission, outbreak, epidemic, spread
Note
Do not confuse contagion with poison or toxin. Contagion refers to transmission of disease or influence, not a chemical substance. In medical contexts, transmission mode (airborne, droplet, contact) is often specified.
Study Deeper
- The contagion spread quickly through the city after the festival.
- Public health officials traced the contagion to a contaminated surface and urged cleaning and quarantine measures.
From Latin contagio, from con- 'together' + tangere 'to touch' (the idea of touching together or transmission through contact).
Mnemonic: Contagion = Contact + Action. Remember that contagion spreads through contact, turning contact into transmission.
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nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
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Acronym
nounA word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).