tuberculise

tuberculise

A doctor explains that a patient may have been tuberculised.

Definition
  1. Verb:
    • To infect with tuberculosis: "tuberculise" means to cause a person or animal to become infected with the bacterial disease tuberculosis (TB). This action is typically performed in a medical or pathological context, often referring to the process of introducing the tuberculosis bacterium into an organism.
Usage Examples
  • Verb:
    • The laboratory study aimed to tuberculise the test mice to observe the progression of the disease. (To deliberately infect the mice with tuberculosis for research.)
    • In rare cases, contaminated medical instruments can accidentally tuberculise a patient. (To inadvertently cause a tuberculosis infection.)
Advanced Usage

  • "to be tuberculised": to have been infected with tuberculosis.

    • The patient was tuberculised after exposure to an active case of the disease. (The patient became infected with TB.)

  • "to tuberculise a culture": in microbiology, to introduce the TB bacterium into a growth medium for study.

    • The researcher used a sterile needle to tuberculise the agar plate. (To inoculate the culture with TB bacteria.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Tuberculosis (n): a serious infectious disease affecting the lungs, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

    • Tuberculosis is treatable with a course of antibiotics. (The disease caused by TB bacteria.)

  • Tuberculous (adj): relating to or affected by tuberculosis.

    • The tuberculous lesion was visible on the X-ray. (A lesion caused by TB.)

  • Tuberculin (n): a protein extract used in tests to detect TB infection.

    • The tuberculin skin test is a standard screening method. (A test using TB protein.)
Synonyms

  • Infect: to cause a disease to enter the body.

    • The virus can infect healthy cells. (To introduce a pathogen.)

  • Contaminate: to make something impure by exposure to a harmful substance.

    • The water supply was contaminated with bacteria. (To pollute with a pathogen.)
Related Idioms
  • (No common idioms are associated with "tuberculise," as it is a technical medical term.)