transmissible

Everyday

1. Transmissible means able to be passed from one person, animal or thing to another, especially a disease: "Measles is very transmissible." tree →
2. (formal) Transmissible can also describe other things that can be passed on, such as traits from parents to children or signals. tree →

In the lessons

In science and health lessons it comes up with germs, infections, vaccines and hygiene: washing hands, covering coughs and vaccinations reduce how many people catch a transmissible disease. In news it was used a lot during Covid-19 about new variants. Phrases: "highly transmissible", "more transmissible", "transmissible disease".

Examples

• Chickenpox is highly transmissible among children. tree →
• The new variant was more transmissible than the old one. tree →
• Colds are transmissible through coughs and sneezes. tree →
• Washing your hands helps stop transmissible germs. tree →
• Not all diseases are transmissible; diabetes cannot be caught. tree →
• Some plant diseases are transmissible by insects. tree →
• Doctors want to know how transmissible a virus is. tree →

Note

Spelling ends in -ible. Close words: infectious, contagious, catching. "Transmissible" is a more scientific word. Related noun: transmission; verb: transmit.