fomite

Meanings

Plural: fomites

Noun

any inanimate object (as a towel or money or clothing or dishes or books or toys etc.) that can transmit infectious agents from one person to another
An inanimate object capable of carrying infectious agents (such as bacteria, viruses or prions), and thus passively enabling their transmission between hosts; common examples include towels, dishcloths, kitchenware/flatware, and laundry.

Origin / Etymology

A back-formation from fomites, plural of fomes, a borrowing of medical Latin fōmes (“tinder, kindling”), used figuratively to evoke the analogy of a spreading infection to a spreading fire.

Synonyms

fomes, vehicle

Scrabble Score: 11

fomite is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
fomite is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
fomite is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

fomite is a valid Words With Friends word