vaccine

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

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Examples of vaccine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Currently, the process of designing, testing, and manufacturing a vaccine to prevent the spread of a new pathogen takes years. — R. Daniel Bressler, Vox, "“Designer bugs”: how the next pandemic might come from a lab," 6 Dec. 2018 Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is spearheading the federal effort for a universal vaccine. — WSJ, "New Ideas to Fight the Flu," 20 Nov. 2018 Treatment typically involves checking for tetanus immunization and shots of immune globulin as well as a rabies vaccine. — Alexandria Hein, Fox News, "Georgia boy, 4, treated for rabies after mom shoots raccoon dead in porch attack," 19 Sep. 2018 For a fast-food worker making $7.25 an hour, a vaccine would wipe out an entire day's pay. — Steve Harrison, charlotteobserver, "After a Hardee's hepatitis A scare, here's what the county could do to reduce risk," 28 June 2018 Polio ravaged generations until a vaccine came out in the 1950s. — Marilynn Marchione, chicagotribune.com, "Enemy turned ally: How poliovirus is used to fight brain tumors," 26 June 2018 Polio ravaged generations until a vaccine came out in the 1950s. — Washington Post, "Enemy turned ally: Poliovirus is used to fight brain tumors," 26 June 2018 There’s more evidence that a vaccine used to fight tuberculosis for 100 years might help people with diabetes. — NBC News, "Can a cheap and widely available TB vaccine help diabetics?," 21 June 2018 The process has mesmerized biologists since 1928, when a British bacteriologist named Frederick Griffith stumbled across it while searching for a pneumonia vaccine. — New York Times, "Using Harpoon-Like Appendages, Bacteria ‘Fish’ for New DNA," 14 June 2018

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.

History and Etymology for 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 -ine entry 1; in extended sense, "preparation of organisms administered to produce 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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Last Updated

6 Mar 2019

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Time Traveler for vaccine

The first known use of vaccine was in 1882

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More Definitions for vaccine

vaccine

noun

English Language Learners Definition of vaccine

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

See the full definition for vaccine in the English Language Learners Dictionary

vaccine

noun

vac·cine | \ vak-ˈsēn

, ˈvak-ˌsēn\

Kids Definition of vaccine

: 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

vaccine

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