contagion: Meaning and Definition of

con•ta•gion

Pronunciation: (kun-tā'jun), [key]
— n.
  1. the communication of disease by direct or indirect contact.
  2. a disease so communicated.
  3. the medium by which a contagious disease is transmitted.
  4. harmful or undesirable contact or influence.
  5. the ready transmission or spread as of an idea or emotion from person to person: a contagion of fear.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: