vaccine
Forms
- Plural
- vaccines
Definitions
1.A substance given to stimulate a body's production of antibodies and provide immunity against a disease without causing the disease itself in the treatment, prepared from the agent that causes the disease (or a derivative of it; or a related, also effective, but safer disease), or a synthetic substitute; also, a dose of such a substance.
- I am much inclined to the vaccine. My friend, Mr. L, has had all his children vaccined, and I just wait to see the effect.
- But he really ought to know the difference between a vaccine and an anti-toxin. Stimulate the phagocytes! The vaccine doesnt affect the phagocytes at all.
2.The process of vaccination; immunization, inoculation.
- My dog has had two vaccines this year.
3.A software program which protects computers against, or detects and neutralizes, computer viruses and other types of malware; an antivirus.
4.Something defensive or protective in nature, like a vaccine (sense 1.1).
Frequency
Overall
Uncommon· #3483
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Uncommon
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin vaccīnus (“of or derived from a cow”), from vacca (“cow (female cattle)”) + -īnus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives).