inject
UK[ɪnˈdʒɛkt]US[ɪnˈdʒɛkt]
v
To force a liquid, especially a drug, into a person's body or an animal's body using a needle and syringe.
v
To add something, such as money, enthusiasm, or a new idea, to something in order to improve it or make it succeed.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
ject
in
in
ject
throw
Etymology
The word 'inject' is a direct borrowing from Latin inicere, the past participle of inicere, meaning "to throw in." This Latin verb is itself a compound of the prefix in- ("into") and the verb iacere ("to throw"). The core semantic logic has remained remarkably consistent from its ancient origins to its modern medical and figurative uses: the act of forcing a substance into a body or system is conceptually analogous to the physical act of throwing it in. The specialized medical sense developed in the 17th century with the advancement of syringes, which perform the literal action implied by the etymology.
Analysis
Structure: in (in) + ject (throw)
- in: A Latin prefix meaning "in, into, on, toward."
- ject: From the Latin root iacere, jectus, meaning "to throw, cast, hurl."
Examples
The nurse will inject the vaccine into your upper arm.
The government plans to inject billions into the renewable energy sector.
He tried to inject a note of humor into the tense meeting.