Vaccinates

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To introduce a preparation designed to enhance the immune response against specific pathogens
2. To deliver a biological agent that triggers immunity against infectious diseases
3. Administers a substance to stimulate the body's defense against certain illnesses

Etymology: "Vaccinates" is the third-person singular present form of "vaccinate," so it is the verb in its "he, she or it" form. The verb is built from "vaccine" plus the suffix "-ate," which English uses to form verbs from nouns and adjectives, so "vaccinate" simply means to give someone a vaccine. The base noun "vaccine" is the more famous piece of the story. It comes from Latin "vaccinus," meaning "of or from cows," from "vacca," cow. The link goes back to Edward Jenner's work in 1796, when he used material from cowpox lesions to protect people against smallpox, and the cow-derived material gave the new practice its name. Once the word was coined for that procedure, "vaccinate" followed naturally, since English readily turns a noun like "vaccine" into a verb by adding "-ate."

Synonyms: immunizes, inoculates, vaccinates, protects, treats

Antonyms: infects, contaminates, exposes, vulnerates, harms