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septic

septic

19 7.2
Infected with bacteria or harmful germs that can make you sick
  • adjective
  • /ˈsɛptɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : séptico
  • If it's not removed right away it could go septic, and he could die.
  • septic shock
  • septic arthritis
  • septic tank

Yeah, But at the lake house, it's all septic.

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Examples

  • Current guidelines recommend starting antibiotic therapy within one hour of identification of septic shock.

    Academic text (2017)
  • I need to get that out before it turns septic.

  • Otherwise the wound will become septic, and then he'll either lose his arm or, worst-case scenario, his life.

  • He went into septic shock and he's on an hour like a minute to minute basis and every hour counts.

  • Okay, so that cut that was in his bowel, there was one that didn't show up on the X-ray, and so that became septic.

  • If the cut is not cleaned properly, it can become septic and lead to a serious infection.

  • The doctor explained that untreated wounds may turn septic and require immediate medical attention.

  • After the surgery, the patient developed septic complications that prolonged his recovery time.

Synonyms

infected
vsseptic
5 3.3

Having germs like bacteria or viruses that make the body sick

is broader applying to contamination or anything caused by harmful microorganisms

Antonyms

1.0

Free from dirt or harmful things

sterile
  • Specialized
37 4.4

Completely free from germs

antiseptic
  • Specialized
12 4.9

Free from germs and able to kill them

Compounds

11 4.3

An underground tank where bacteria break down sewage and solids before they drain away

septic sore throat
  • Specialized
4.8

Strep bacteria infect the throat and tonsils and cause a severe, painful infection often with fever

How Infected

septicemic
  • Specialized
1 9.9
septic
  • Specialized
19 7.2
infected
5 3.3
clean
1.0
sterile
  • Specialized
37 4.4

Surface Forms

septic positive

Morphology

septic = sepsis (semi-transparent) = sepsis + ic

Formed from the medical noun 'sepsis' with the adjective-forming suffix '-ic'; the morphological process is regular but both elements are specialized medical vocabulary, so it's not fully transparent to general learners.

Etymology

Septic comes from an old Greek word septikos, from sepo meaning 'to rot'. That's why septic describes something infected or full of harmful germs, like a wound that is starting to rot.