infection
n. C / Un. a condition where harmful germs or bacteria enter your body and make you sick. It can cause symptoms like a fever, pain, or redness in one area.
n. the invasion and multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria or viruses, within body tissues. Often results in local or systemic disease through cellular injury or toxin production.
Wash your hands to prevent a skin infection.
The doctor prescribed a course of antibiotics to clear up the bacterial infection in his throat.
While some viral infections resolve without medical intervention, others require targeted antiviral therapy to prevent the pathogen from overwhelming the patient's immune system.
From Old French infection, from Late Latin īnfectiō. Equivalent to infect + -ion.
Uncountable when referring to the general state of being infected; countable when referring to a specific instance or type of illness.