Immunologist

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A specialist dedicated to the study of the immune system and its responses, primarily concerning diseases and health issues related to immunity
2. An expert in the investigation of the immune system's mechanisms, particularly how it reacts to pathogens and maintains health
3. A professional who focuses on understanding the immune system and its functions in protecting the body from diseases

Etymology: The word is a plain formation: "immunology" plus the agent suffix "-ist". The first part goes back to Latin "immunis", meaning "exempt" or "free from obligation", built from "in-" (not) and "munus", a duty or service. Roman law used the idea of exemption from public burdens, and English took "immune" from that sense before the medical meaning of protection from disease developed. "Immunology" is the study of that protection, and it combines "immune" with the Greek "-logia", from "logos", meaning "word" or "study". The suffix "-ist" comes from Greek "-istes" by way of Latin and Old French, and it marks a person who practices or specialises in a field. An immunologist, then, is someone who studies the body's defences, from the Latin root of exemption to the Greek root of systematic study.

Synonyms: immunologist, immunologist, immunologist, immunologist, immunologist