Innocuous vs Inoculate - What's the difference?
innocuous | inoculate |
Harmless; producing no ill effect.
* 1892 , , A Footnote to History , ch. 9:
* 1910 , , The Lair of the White Worm , ch. 11:
* {{quote-news
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Inoffensive; unprovocative; not exceptional.
* 1893 , , Mrs. Falchion , ch. 12:
* 1910 , , The Intrusion of Jimmy , ch. 28:
(immunology) To introduce an antigenic substance or vaccine into the body, as to produce immunity to a specific disease.
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(by extension) To safeguard or protect something as if by inoculation.
To add one substance to another; to spike.
To graft by inserting buds.
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(figurative) To introduce into the mind (used especially of harmful ideas or principles); to imbue.
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As an adjective innocuous
is harmless; producing no ill effect.As a verb inoculate is
to introduce an antigenic substance or vaccine into the body, as to produce immunity to a specific disease.innocuous
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- The shells fell for the most part innocuous ; an eyewitness saw children at play beside the flaming houses; not a soul was injured.
- Other things, too, there were, not less deadly though seemingly innocuous —dried fungi, traps intended for birds, beasts, fishes, reptiles, and insects.
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- Ruth Devlin announced that the song must wait, though it appeared to be innocuous and child-like in its sentiments.
- He sat down, and lighted a cigarette, casting about the while for an innocuous topic of conversation.
Synonyms
* innoxious, nonpoisonous, nontoxic * (inoffensive) uncontroversialAntonyms
* nocuous * noxious * harmful * poisonous * toxicDerived terms
* innocuity * innocuously * innocuousnessinoculate
English
Alternative forms
* innoculateVerb
- The culture medium was inoculated with selenium to investigate the rate of uptake.
- to inoculate the bud of one tree or plant into another
- to inoculate a tree
- to inoculate someone with treason or infidelity