Vaxxer

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈvæksɚ/

Definitions

1. An individual who supports or promotes the use of vaccines to prevent diseases
2. Someone who endorses vaccination as a means to protect health and prevent infectious illnesses
3. A person who encourages or advocates receiving vaccines to reduce the spread of contagious diseases

Etymology: "Vaxxer" is a plain formation: the clipped word "vax," meaning vaccine or vaccination, with the agent suffix "-er" attached to name a person who does the thing. The suffix is the familiar one from words like "baker" or "teacher," so the noun simply means someone who vaccinates in the broad sense of championing vaccination. The clipped base "vax" is the more interesting part. Shortening a word to its first syllable and adding a letter, here an "x" that doubles the sound of the "k" in "vaccine," is a pattern common in informal English. The spelling makes the word look and sound brisk, which suits the slang register where it is mostly used. Because the base was already colloquial, "vaxxer" carries a casual, sometimes partisan tone that the more formal "vaccine advocate" lacks.

Synonyms: vaccinator, inoculator, immunizer, shot giver