a. [ME. a. OF. contagieus (14th c.), ad. (late) L. contāgiōsus, f. contāgiōn-: see CONTAGION and -OUS.]
I. Where the notion of mutual contact is present.
1. Of the nature of or characterized by contagion; communicating disease or corruption by contact; infectious. Also fig.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., III. xii. 101. Whan I lost my memorie by þe contagious coniunccioun of þe body wiþ þe soule.
1607. Walkington, Opt. Glass, ii. (1664), 23. His Soul must needs be affected with the Contagious Qualities incident unto his Body.
1795. Southey, Joan of Arc, VII. 451. Ere the contagious vices of the court Polluted her, he thought.
1835. Ure, Philos. Manuf., 413. Amid the contagious habits of great cities.
2. Of diseases: Communicable or infectious by contact. See CONTAGION 1.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 196. Þis [leprosy] is oon of the syknessis þat ben contagious.
1527. R. Thorne, in Hakluyt, Voy. (1589), 252. Of some contagious sickenesse he died.
1540. Act 32 Hen. VIII., c. 42 § 3. The pestilence, great pockes, and such other contagious infirmityes.
a. 1626. Bacon, in Resuscitatio (ed. Rawley), 111. Pestilences, Sweats, and other Contagious Diseases.
1710. Steele, Tatler, No. 10, ¶ 11. There is a contagious Sickness, which, it is feared, will end in a Pestilence.
1803. Med. Jrnl., X. 108. I do not think influenza to be contagious.
1879. Maclagan in 19th Cent., 810. When we wish to say that a disease is produced by personal contact with a person suffering from it … we call it contagious.
Contagious Diseases Acts, the title of a number of acts of parliament passed in 1866 and following years, to check the propagation of venereal diseases in certain military and naval stations (‘C. D. Acts’), and to check the spread of rinderpest and other diseases among cattle (Contagious Diseases (Animals) Acts).
1866. Resolution Ho. Commons, 24 April. That it is expedient to make provision for the payment of any Expenses that may be incurred, under any Act of the present Session for the better prevention of Contagious Diseases at certain Naval and Military Stations.
1883. Times, 21 April, 8/6. Mr. Stansfeld rose to move—‘That this House disapproves of the compulsory examination of women under the Contagious Diseases Acts.’
1887. Ho. Commons, 14 June. The Regulations … in force under the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act, 1878.
3. Tainted with and communicating contagion: charged with the germs of an infectious disease.
1586. Cogan, Haven Health, ccxliii. (1636), 301. The clothes especially of woollen … continue contagious by the space of three yeares, and more.
1722. De Foe, Plague (1840), 179. Their breath, their sweat, their very clothes, were contagious for many days before. Ibid. (Rtldg.), 251. They might go about seemingly whole, and yet be contagious to all those that came near them.
1813. J. Thomson, Lect. Inflam., 350. The absorption of … bile, milk, contagious matters.
4. fig. Apt to be communicated from one to another or to others. (Cf. catching, infectious.)
1660. Boyle, Seraph. Love, 144. If our Friends do not allay our Love or Affection by unwelcome Actions, or their contagious Sufferings.
1667. Milton, P. L., IX. 1036. Well understood Of Eve, whose Eye darted contagious Fire.
1689. Shadwell, Bury F., II. i. I see this Folly is contagious.
1730. Thomson, Autumn, 1113. From Look to Look contagious thro’ the Croud The Pannic runs.
1769. Junius Lett., xv. 68. Ripened to … maturity of corruption, the worst examples cease to be contagious.
1867. Emerson, Lett. & Soc. Aims, Progr. Culture, Wks. (Bohn), III. 235. All vigour is contagious, and when we see creation we also begin to create.
II. In more general sense: Breeding disease, injurious, noxious.
† 5. Apt to breed or infect with disease, fever-breeding, pestilential; ‘that corrupteth or infecteth’ (Table Alph., 1613). Obs.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. xxiv. (1495), 618. The stenche and lothsom sauour of deed caraynes and other daungerous and contagyous ayres.
1512. Act 4 Hen. VIII., c. 8. Which prison is oon of the most anoyous, contagious and detestablest places withyn this realme.
1555. Eden, Decades, 122. The place is also contagious … by reason it is coompased aboute with muddy and stynkynge marysshes.
1587. R. Scot, in Holinshed, III. 1546/1. This summer … was verie hot and contagious.
1633. J. Russell, Batt. Lutzen, in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), IV. 184. Contagious and poisonous desarts.
1691. Ray, Creation, I. (1704), 103. Noisom and contagious Vapours.
1792. S. Rogers, Pleas. Mem., II. 271. Those tend’rer tints that … in the world’s contagious climate die.
† b. Hurtful or injurious as food. Obs.
c. 1450. Henryson, Mor. Fab., 50. To fyle your teeth or lippes with my blude, Whilke to your stomacke is contagious.
c. 1510. Barclay, Mirr. Gd. Manners (1570), G ij. Can kepe him from daunger of meate contagious.
1547. Boorde, Brev. Health, xxxii. 18. Beware of contagious meates and drynkes, as newe ale … newe hote bread, etc.
1594. Plat, Jewell-ho., I. 8. Unto man … the eating of much salt is very contagious, because it maketh the blood salt.
† c. Foul, noisome, fetid. Obs.
1547. Boorde, Brev. Health, § 321. Let him vse odiferous and no contagiouse ayers.
1590. Nashe, Pref. Greene’s Menaphon (Arb.), 7. The vnsauorie sent of the pitchy slime, that Euphrates cast vp, and the contagious fumes of goats beards burned.
† 6. Injurious to human life or health otherwise than by breeding disease; pernicious, noxious.
c. 1430. Lydg., Bochas, IX. xxii. (1554), 206 a. Most in murdre he was contagious Of Innocent blood to make effusion.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., I. xix. 17. Flyes … so noyous and contageous, that they slewe moche people.
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., II. II. 105. Now the Winter comming vpon vs with much contagious weather.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., 199. Rid them out of the world … as contagious beasts.
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., 243. All kind of contagious creatures, as lizards, serpents, and adders.
† 7. Morally or socially injurious, noxious, or dangerous; grievous, ‘pestilent.’ Obs.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 91. Contagyows or grevows to dele wythe, contagiosus.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccxxxiii. 323. So this ordynaunce of the pope was right contagyous to them.
1631. Weever, Anc. Fun. Mon., 54. A contagious broode of Scismatickes.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., III. xlii. 276. To cast out of their Synagogues, such as they thought in manners, or doctrine, contagious.
