cross-resistance

noun

cross-re·​sis·​tance ˌkrȯs-ri-ˈzi-stən(t)s How to pronounce cross-resistance (audio)
: tolerance (as of a bacterium) to a usually toxic substance (such as an antibiotic) that is acquired not as a result of direct exposure but by exposure to a related substance

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cross-resistance was in 1946

Dictionary Entries Near cross-resistance

Cite this Entry

“Cross-resistance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cross-resistance. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

cross-resistance

noun
cross-re·​sis·​tance ˌkrȯs-ri-ˈzis-tən(t)s How to pronounce cross-resistance (audio)
: tolerance (as of a bacteria, malignant cell, or insect) to a usually toxic substance (as an antibiotic, chemotherapy drug, or pesticide) that is acquired not as a result of direct exposure but by exposure to a related substance
The history of drug resistance in falciparum malaria suggests that these compounds may also enjoy only a short-lived glory and that cross-resistance with related compounds can be expected.David J. Wyler, The Journal of the American Medical Association
… paclitaxel and docetaxel are being incorporated into adjuvant regimens on the basis of their antitumor activity in advanced breast cancer and the absence of cross-resistance with doxorubicin.Charles L. Shapiro, et al., The New England Journal of Medicine
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!