injection

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable or uncountable

   The act of putting a liquid medicine into the body with a needle and syringe.

   Grammar: Countable when talking about a specific dose: 'The nurse gave me an injection.' Uncountable when referring to the process: 'The drug is given by injection.'

   Patterns

   • give someone an injection
   • have an injection
   • by injection

   The doctor gave the child an injection to prevent the flu.

   She has to have an injection every day for her diabetes.

   The vaccine is usually administered by injection into the upper arm.

2. 2nouncountable

   A sudden addition of money or resources into a system or organization to help it.

   Grammar: Often used with 'of': 'an injection of cash'.

   Patterns

   • an injection of something
   • a cash injection
   • a capital injection

   The company needed a cash injection to avoid bankruptcy.

   The government announced a fresh injection of funds into the health service.

   The project received a timely injection of resources.

3. 3noununcountabletechnical

   The act of forcing a liquid or gas into something, especially an engine or a container.

   Grammar: Often used in technical contexts: 'fuel injection'.

   Patterns

   • fuel injection
   • injection into something

   The car has electronic fuel injection for better efficiency.

   The injection of steam into the pipes helped clear the blockage.

Word forms

Common combinations

give an injection

The nurse gave me an injection in my arm.

have an injection

I have to have an injection at the dentist tomorrow.

cash injection

The struggling business received a much-needed cash injection.

fuel injection

Modern cars typically use fuel injection instead of a carburetor.

by injection

The medication is taken by injection once a week.

Synonyms and how they differ

shot

Informal and common in everyday American English; it means the same as a medical injection.

jab

Informal British English for an injection, often used for vaccinations.

vaccination

Specifically an injection that protects against a disease, not any injection.

Word family

inject verb

To put a liquid into the body or something else with a needle or similar device.

injectable adjective

Describing a medicine that can be given by injection.

Commonly confused: injection or injunction?

Practice

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