Meaning & use
Fomite
Last updated
An inanimate object or material that can carry infectious organisms and transfer them from one person to another, such as a doorknob, towel, or utensil.
See it in a sentence
Public health officials reminded travelers that shared armrests and tray tables can act as fomites.
Doctors identified the hospital's call buttons as a likely fomite in the outbreak.
A note on using this word
From Latin 'fomes' (tinder), reflecting the old idea that certain objects could 'kindle' disease the way tinder catches fire.
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