vaccine

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Of or pertaining to cowpox as a source of material for vaccination against smallpox; also, of or pertaining to such material used for vaccination.

   I will call upon them: they are healthy children, we can have the vaccine infection from them, and I will inoculate the boy myself.

2. 2
   adj

   Of, pertaining to, or derived from cattle.

   [M]y play could not have been written but for the work done by Sir Almroth Wright in the theory and practice of securing immunization from bacterial diseases by the inoculation of "vaccines" made of their own bacteria: a practice incorrectly called vaccinetherapy (there is nothing vaccine about it) apparently because it is what vaccination ought to be and is not.

3. 3
   noun

   A substance given to stimulate a body's production of antibodies and provide immunity against a disease without causing the disease itself in the treatment, prepared from the agent that causes the disease (or a derivative of it; or a related, also effective, but safer disease), or a synthetic substitute; also, a dose of such a substance.

   I am much inclined to the vaccine. My friend, Mr. L—, has had all his children vaccined, and I just wait to see the effect.

4. 4
   noun

   The process of vaccination; immunization, inoculation.

   My dog has had two vaccines this year.

5. 5
   verb

   Synonym of vaccinate (“to treat (a person or an animal) with a vaccine to produce immunity against a disease”).

   [S]ince you have decided that the boy shall be vaccined, let us send directly for the surgeon and have it done, and then he will be safe.

6. 6
   noun

   immunogen consisting of a suspension of weakened or dead pathogenic cells injected in order to stimulate the production of antibodies

7. 7
   adj

   Of, pertaining to, caused by, or characteristic of cowpox.

8. 8
   noun

   The material taken from cowpox pustules used for vaccination against smallpox.

Etymology

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