contagion

C2 Topic:Health & Medicine

US /kənˈteɪd͡ʒən/ See IPA manual

Freq #24942

Meanings

1

noun
The spread of a disease from one person to another by close contact.

Strict hygiene rules were introduced to prevent the contagion from spreading further.
2

noun
The fast spread of an idea, feeling, or panic through a group of people.

Fear spread through the crowd like a contagion.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the spread of a disease... infection transmission

2 noun · the fast spread of an idea,... infection

Word family

Forms contagions

Derived forms anticontagioncontagiogramcontagionedcontagionismcontagionistnoncontagion

Related forms contagious quarantine

Etymology

From Middle English (late 14th century), from Old French, from Latin contāgiō (“a touching, contact, contagion”) related to contingō (“touch closely”).

*teh₂g- Proto-Indo-European contāgiō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Health & Medicine Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# contagion

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /kənˈteɪd͡ʒən/
**Frequency rank:** 24942

## Meanings
1. The spread of a disease from one person to another by close contact.
2. The fast spread of an idea, feeling, or panic through a group of people.

## Examples
- Strict hygiene rules were introduced to prevent the contagion from spreading further.
- Fear spread through the crowd like a contagion.

## Derived Forms
- anticontagion
- contagiogram
- contagioned
- contagionism
- contagionist
- noncontagion

## Related Forms
- contagious
- quarantine

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *teh₂g-
- Root: contāgiō

## Etymology
From Middle English (late 14th century), from Old French, from Latin contāgiō (“a touching, contact, contagion”) related to contingō (“touch closely”).

## AI Etymology
Contagion is from Middle English (late 14th century), from Old French, from Latin contāgiō (“a touching, contact, contagion”) related to contingō (“touch closely”). Important recorded forms include *teh₂g- (Proto-Indo-European) and contāgiō (Latin). Current senses include the spread of a disease from one person to another by close contact and the fast spread of an idea, feeling, or panic through a group of people. The wider family includes derived forms such as anticontagion, contagiogram, contagioned, contagionism, and contagionist; related words such as contagious and quarantine.

## Topics
- Health & Medicine
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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