fomites (FOM-i-teez) plural noun Any inanimate object, such as a book, money, carpet, etc. that can transmit germs from one person to another.
[From Latin fomites, plural of fomes (touchwood, tinder), from fovere (to warm).] Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=fomite "You and your husband are really betting money that coins and currency are terrific fomites - inanimate objects that may be contaminated with infectious organisms and transmit them. But according to the Food and Drug Administration it's 'not likely.' The paper used for currency contains fungicidal chemicals that remain effective throughout the life of its circulation." Diane Crowley; Bride-to-be Has Genetic Questions About Fiance; Chicago Sun-Times; May 7, 1989. This week's theme: words related to medicine. Sponsored by: Monthly French, German, Italian and Spanish cultural audio magazines for intermediate-to-advanced learners. http://web.champs-elysees.com/wsmith1 Natural knowledge enhancement! One unique, at-a-glance email a day is fuel for brain cells grey. http://knowledgenews.net/s?s=aw090105 ............................................................................ Smoking cures weight problems... eventually. -Steven Wright, comedian (1955- ) The Magic of Laughter: Discuss the magic of laughter with Dr. Madan Kataria, the founder of laughter yoga movement in an online chat, Sep 6, 2005 at: http://wordsmith.org/chat Pronunciation: http://wordsmith.org/words/fomites.wav http://wordsmith.org/words/fomites.ram Permalink: http://wordsmith.org/words/fomites.html This message was sent to "[email protected]".
