vaccine

noun vac·cine \ vak-ˈsēn , ˈvak-ˌsēn \

|Updated on: 10 Jul 2018

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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vaccine

adjective

See vaccine defined for English-language learners

See vaccine defined for kids

Recent Examples of vaccine from the Web

Kroger and Walgreen pharmacies are among those offering the vaccine, with most insurance plans covering the cost.

— louisville courier journal, The Courier-Journal, "5 things to know Thursday: Hep A outbreak, tornado and LouCity stadium," 28 June 2018
Due to high levels of demand for GSK’s Shingrix vaccine, GSK has implemented order limits and providers have experienced shipping delays.

— sy mukherjee, Fortune, "There's Massive Demand for GlaxoSmithKline's Shingles Vaccine—And It's Causing a Shortfall," 25 June 2018
More than 1,000 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo were given an experimental Ebola vaccine, as health workers try to stop the spread of the disease.

— The Economist, "Politics this week," 7 June 2018
Control of the outbreak has focused on efforts such as patient isolation and care, contact tracing, community awareness and the use of an experimental vaccine, rVSV-ZEBOV.

— meera senthilingam, CNN, "Experimental drugs approved for use in Congo Ebola outbreak," 6 June 2018
Visit the vet in the spring or early summer Make an appointment before the hotter months to check off any necessary vaccines, medications or other treatments deemed necessary by your vet.

— fiza pirani, ajc, "7 ways to protect your dog from heat stroke and hyperthermia," 20 June 2018
His adoption fee includes current vaccines, neuter, and microchip.

— peggy calhoun, idahostatesman, "Canyon County Pet of the Week: Gus-Gus," 20 June 2018
Bring proof of county residence and your dog or cat's vaccine and spay/neutered documentation.

— Sun-Sentinel.com, "Plantation and Sunrise area events, June 6-16," 5 June 2018
She's spayed, microchipped, current on vaccines, and negative for FIV/FeLV.

— robert philpot, star-telegram, "Adopt me! Meet Freya," 3 Apr. 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.

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1882

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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VACCINE Defined for English Language Learners

vaccine

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

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

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