Antiserums

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A substance used to neutralize or counteract toxins or pathogens, typically derived from the blood serum of immunized animals
2. A medical preparation containing antibodies that provides immunity against specific diseases by targeting pathogens
3. A therapeutic agent formulated to treat infections or exposure to toxins through the injection of antibodies found in serum

Etymology: "Antiserums" is the plural of "antiserum," a compound of the Greek prefix "anti-," meaning "against," and the Latin "serum," meaning whey or the watery fluid left when milk curdles. Blood serum is the clear liquid that remains after blood clots, and "serum" took on its medical sense from that same watery quality. Joining it to "anti-" produces a term for serum that works against a specific disease or toxin. The "anti-" element comes from Ancient Greek "anti," meaning "opposite" or "against," which reached English as a prefix used to build technical terms. The "serum" element is a Latin word, though its roots reach back to a shared Indo-European ancestor, which also connects it to the idea of something flowing or being released. Put together, the two parts describe a fluid that counteracts an illness, which is exactly what the word still does.

Synonyms: antisera