Pronunciation: ' f ō - ˌ m ī t
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural fo · mites \ ' f ō - ˌ m ī ts; ' fä-m ə - ˌ t ē z, ' f ō - \
Etymology: back-formation from fomites, from New Latin, plural of fomit-, fomes, from Latin, kindling wood; akin to Latin fov ē re to heat ― more at FOMENT
Date: 1803
: an object (as a dish or an article of clothing) that may be contaminated with infectious organisms and serve in their transmission