carrierborne

Carrierborne is a neologism or rarely used compound adjective in English that denotes something carried or transmitted by a carrier. It follows the pattern of other -borne words and is contingent on context; there is no single formal definition in major dictionaries.

In public health, some writers describe diseases as carrierborne when transmission occurs through carriers who harbor pathogens without showing symptoms. Its usage stresses the role of carriers in spreading infection, but standard terminology typically uses terms such as asymptomatic carrier or secondary transmission.

In logistics, 'carrierborne' might appear to describe cargo, passengers, or information that is transported by a carrier (such as an airline, shipping line, or trucking company). It is not standard freight terminology, and practitioners usually specify the mode directly (air, sea, road) or refer to carrier-transmitted information in specific contexts.

In communications or technology, the phrase is uncommon; if used, it would describe information carried on a carrier signal or medium, but established terms like carrier wave or carried by a channel are preferred.

Because it is rarely used, the term's meaning can be ambiguous; readers should rely on clarifying adjectives or the surrounding context.

See also: airborne, seaborne, roadborne, landborne, transmission, carrier wave.