vaccine

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A substance given to people or animals to protect them from a particular disease.

   Scientists developed a vaccine to fight the new virus.

Simplified etymology

Vaccine derives from the Latin expression variolae vaccinae, referring to cowpox and ultimately associated with the Latin word for “cow.” Edward Jenner used the expression in 1798 when describing his cowpox-based method of protection against smallpox, and vaccine, vaccinate, and vaccination entered use around the beginning of the 19th century.

The noun is probably partly: * derived from vaccine (adjective) (see etymology 1); and * borrowed from French vaccine (“cowpox (short for variole vaccine); vaccination against smallpox using material from cowpox”), vaccin (“cowpox material used for smallpox vaccination”), both noun uses of vaccin (adjective), from Latin vaccīnus (see etymology 1). The verb is derived from the noun. Cognates * Italian vaccina * Portuguese vacina * Spanish vacuna

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary