Immunosuppressant

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A chemical that inhibits the immune system’s activity to lower rejection rates for transplants and treat autoimmune disorders
2. An agent designed to suppress immune function, frequently utilized in transplant medicine and the management of autoimmune conditions
3. A substance employed to reduce immune system activity, commonly used to prevent organ rejection following transplants and to manage autoimmune diseases

Etymology: Immunosuppressant is a plain compound built from two parts that were each assembled from older material. The first part, "immuno-", comes from English "immune," which entered the language from Middle French "immun," and that traces back to Latin "immunis," meaning exempt from a duty or service. The Latin word combines "in-," meaning "not," with "munus," meaning a service, task, or obligation owed to others. So at its root, to be immune was to be excused from a burden, and only later did the sense shift to being protected from disease. The second part, "suppressant," comes from "suppress," which means to press down or put an end to something, and the "-ant" ending marks a substance or agent that does the job. Joined together, the word describes an agent that presses down the body's immune response. The "immuno-" element carries a Greek-style linking vowel, a reminder that modern medical vocabulary is often built from pieces of Latin and Greek combined in new ways.

Synonyms: immunosuppressive drug