vaccine

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noun vac·cine \vak-ˈsēn, ˈvak-ˌsēn\

Definition of vaccine

: a preparation of killed microorganisms, living attenuated organisms, or living fully virulent organisms that is administered to produce or artificially increase immunity to a particular disease

vaccine

adjective

See vaccine defined for English-language learners

See vaccine defined for kids

Recent Examples of vaccine from the Web

But then, as Mozart's telling goes, Andy fell ill with polio, the vaccine for which was still quite new and not widely distributed.

— ella ceron, Teen Vogue, ""Toy Story" Theory About Andy's Dad Goes Viral", 26 June 2017
Preemies are at high risk for respiratory infections because of their underdeveloped lungs, for example; the most dangerous is Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), which Layla's pediatrician gave her a special, but expensive, vaccine for.

— jessica valenti, Marie Claire, "If Republicans Are Pro-Life, Why Don't They Care About My Child?", 23 June 2017
Broadly – this is mainly for international travel – there are three main issues: Vaccines and malaria, water and foodborne illnesses, and injuries.

— sandy bauers, Philly.com, "5 Questions: How to keep kids safe while traveling", 23 June 2017
Borch has received six shots so far, including the rabies vaccine, and immunoglobulin and tetanus injections.

— tribune news service, AL.com, "Maine woman drowns rabid raccoon in puddle during attack: 'It felt like "Pet Sematary"'", 16 June 2017
Here, the common refrain goes, is an unmoored country where manufacturers knowingly sell toxic baby formula and fraudulent children’s vaccines.

— gerry shih, The Seattle Times, "China ponders public morality after video of gruesome death", 11 June 2017
Vaccines are available, but veterinarians can advise whether they are warranted.

— bruce henderson, charlotteobserver, "Seven dogs in Davidson recovering from flu that has killed 2 in NC", 8 June 2017
Pinkerton beat tuberculosis and has since become an advocate against the disease, meeting with members of Congress and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to talk about vaccine research, testing protocols and the need for new drugs.

— andy marso, kansascity, "He survived tuberculosis as a senior at Olathe Northwest, and now he wants to keep others from getting it", 5 June 2017
The World Health Organization provides some training to South Sudan’s health officials and the U.N. children’s agency provides the vaccines to the government.

— justin lynch, The Seattle Times, "South Sudan: 15 children die in botched vaccine campaign", 2 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vaccine'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of vaccine

earlier, “fluid from cowpox pustules used in inoculation,” noun use of vaccine “of cowpox” (in the phrases vaccine disease, vaccine matter), borrowed from New Latin vaccina (in variolae vaccinae “cowpox”), going back to Latin, feminine of vaccīnus “of or from a cow,” from vacca “cow” (perhaps akin to Sanskrit vaśā “cow”) + -īnus ¹-ine; in extended sense, “preparation of organisms administered to produced immunity,” in part borrowed from French vaccin, masculine derivative of vaccine “cowpox, matter from cowpox pustules,” borrowed from New Latin or English

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First Known Use: 1813

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VACCINE Defined for English Language Learners

vaccine

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noun

Definition of vaccine for English Language Learners

medical : a substance that is usually injected into a person or animal to protect against a particular disease

VACCINE Defined for Kids

vaccine

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noun vac·cine \vak-ˈsēn, ˈvak-ˌsēn\

Definition of vaccine for Students

: a preparation containing usually killed or weakened microorganisms (as bacteria or viruses) that is given usually by injection to increase protection against a particular disease

History for vaccine

In the late 1700s the English doctor Edward Jenner investigated the old belief that people who contracted a mild disease called cowpox from cows thereby became immune to smallpox, a much more dangerous disease. Jenner documented 23 such cases, where people inoculated with matter from cowpox sores came down with cowpox but then did not contract smallpox. Because variolae vaccinae, literally, “cow pustules,” was the medical Latin name for cowpox, the virus-containing material used for inoculations eventually came to be called vaccine.

Medical Dictionary

vaccine

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noun vac·cine \vak-ˈsēn, ˈvak-ˌ\

Medical Definition of vaccine

1: matter or a preparation containing the virus of cowpox used to vaccinate a person against smallpox
2: a preparation of killed microorganisms, living attenuated organisms, or living fully virulent organisms that is administered to produce or artificially increase immunity to a particular disease chicken pox vaccine; also : a mixture of several such vaccines measles-mumps-rubella vaccine