The Only Use
inoculate
in
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
(Auto-generated)
- You should not have believ'd me; for virtue cannot so
inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it: I loved you
not.†Scene 3.1
Definitions:
-
(1)
(inoculate) to protect by giving a vaccine; or, figuratively, to protect someone by early, safe exposure to an ideaLiterally, inoculation introduces a small, controlled amount of a germ or substance so the body can build immunity. Metaphorically, someone can be “inoculated” against harmful ideas by encountering them early in a thoughtful, safe environment.
- (2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)