vaccine

vaccine
n.
a special preparation of antigenic material that can be used to stimulate the development of antibodies and thus confer active immunity against a specific disease or number of diseases. Many vaccines are produced by culturing bacteria or viruses under conditions that lead to a loss of their virulence but not of their antigenic nature. Other vaccines consist of specially treated toxins (toxoids) or of dead bacteria that are still antigenic. Examples of live but attenuated (weakened) organisms in vaccines are those against measles, mumps, and rubella (the MMR vaccine) and tuberculosis. Dead organisms are used against cholera and typhoid; precipitated toxoids are used against diphtheria and tetanus. Extensive experimental study continues in the search for cancer vaccines, especially against melanoma and prostate cancer.

The new mediacal dictionary. 2014.

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  • vaccine — [ vaksin ] n. f. • 1749; lat. méd. variola vaccina « variole de la vache » 1 ♦ Maladie infectieuse observée chez la vache (⇒ cow pox), le cheval, due à un virus morphologiquement identique au virus de la variole humaine, et dont l inoculation… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Vaccine — Vac cine (v[a^]k s[imac]n or v[a^]k s[i^]n; 277), a. [L. vaccinus, fr. vacca a cow; cf. Skr. v[=a][,c] to bellow, to groan.] 1. Of or pertaining to cows; pertaining to, derived from, or caused by, vaccinia; as, vaccine virus; the vaccine disease …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • vacciné — vacciné, e adj. Endurci, prévenu : Moi, je suis vacciné. Vacciné avec une aiguille de phono, bavard. / Vaccinée ou vaccinée au pus de génisse, déflorée …   Dictionnaire du Français argotique et populaire

  • vacciné — vacciné, ée (va ksi né, née) part. passé de vacciner. Un enfant vacciné.    Substantivement. Les vaccinés …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • Vaccine — Vac cine (v[a^]k*s[=e]n or v[a^]k s[=e]n), n. 1. The virus of vaccinia used in vaccination. [1913 Webster] 2. any preparation used to render an organism immune to some disease, by inducing or increasing the natural immunity mechanisms. Prior to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • vaccine — VACCINE: Ne fréquenter que des personnes vaccinées …   Dictionnaire des idées reçues

  • vaccine — (n.) matter used in vaccination, 1846, from L. vaccina, fem. of vaccinus pertaining to a cow (see VACCINATION (Cf. vaccination)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • vaccine — ► NOUN Medicine ▪ a substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases, prepared from the causative agent of a disease or a synthetic substitute. ORIGIN Latin vaccinus, from vacca cow… …   English terms dictionary

  • vaccine — [vak sēn′, vak′sēn] n. [L vaccinus, from cows < vacca, cow; akin ? to Sans vaśā, rogue cow] 1. lymph, or a preparation of this, from a cowpox vesicle, containing the causative virus and used in vaccination against cowpox or smallpox 2. any… …   English World dictionary

  • Vaccine — For other uses, see Vaccine (disambiguation). A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease causing microorganism, and is often made from… …   Wikipedia

  • vaccine — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ effective, safe ▪ flu, measles, rubella, etc. ▪ The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives. ▪ …   Collocations dictionary

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