Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To force or drive (a fluid) into something.
  • transitive verb To introduce (a drug or vaccine, for example) into a body part, especially by means of a syringe.
  • transitive verb To treat by means of injection.
  • transitive verb To introduce into conversation or consideration.
  • transitive verb To place into circulation.
  • transitive verb To place into an orbit or trajectory.
  • transitive verb Physics To cause (a beam of particles, for example) to strike a target.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To throw in; cause to pass in by impulsion or driving force, as a fluid into a passage or cavity: as, to inject medicine by means of a syringe; to inject cold water into a steam-condenser.
  • To treat by injection; charge with an impelled fluid.
  • Figuratively, to introduce arbitrarily or inappropriately; insert out of place or unseasonably; lug in: as, to inject a polemical argument into a prayer.
  • To cast or throw in general.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To throw in; to dart in; to force in
  • transitive verb Fig.: To throw; to offer; to propose; to instill.
  • transitive verb rare To cast or throw; -- with on.
  • transitive verb (Anat.) To fill (a vessel, cavity, or tissue) with a fluid or other substance.
  • transitive verb to add in; to insert; to interject; ; to inject humor into a tense situation.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To push or pump (something, especially fluids) into a cavity or passage.
  • verb transitive To introduce (something) suddenly or violently.
  • verb transitive To administer an injection to (someone), especially of medicine or drugs.
  • verb intransitive To take or be administered something by means of injection, especially medicine or drugs.
  • verb transitive, computing To introduce (code) into an existing program or its memory space, often without tight integration and sometimes through a security vulnerability.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb force or drive (a fluid or gas) into by piercing
  • verb to insert between other elements
  • verb to introduce (a new aspect or element)
  • verb feed intravenously
  • verb take by injection
  • verb give an injection to

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin inicere, iniect-, to throw in : in-, in; see in– + iacere, to throw; see yē- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From the participle stem of Latin iniciō ("I throw in"), from in- + iaceō ("I throw").

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