vaccine

vac-cine · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease.

  2. 2.

    (Computing) A program designed to detect and remove computer viruses.

Forms

plural: vaccines

Related words

See also: vaccinate, vaccination
Synonyms: immunization, inoculation

Etymology

From Latin vaccinus (of or from cows), from vacca (cow). Coined by Edward Jenner in 1796 when he used cowpox to create immunity against smallpox.