infect

Where does the word "infect" come from? It comes from Latin inficere, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Infect’s story begins in Latin: inficere meant “to put in, to taint.” To put in, to taint, to dye, from in- (into) and facere (to do, make). It reached English by 1300s as infect. Settled as the English word for contaminating something with disease-causing organisms. Today, infect means to contaminate with a disease-causing organism, or to spread a harmful influence.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient inficere "to put in, to taint", to put in, to taint, to dye, from in- (into) and facere (to do, make).
2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s infect "to contaminate something with disease-causing organisms", settled as the English word for contaminating something with disease-causing organisms.