polyvalent
Chemistry. having more than one valence.
Bacteriology. (of an immune serum) containing several antibodies, each capable of reacting with a specific antigen.
Origin of polyvalent
1Other words from polyvalent
- pol·y·va·lence, noun
Words Nearby polyvalent
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use polyvalent in a sentence
The general use of the present commercial polyvalent protective against influenza is not considered desirable.
The complement fixation test is like a Wassermann reaction, but the antigen should be polyvalent.
The Ethics of Medical Homicide and Mutilation | Austin O'MalleyA polyvalent vaccine contains several strains of the infective agent and a mixed contains several different organisms.
The Fundamentals of Bacteriology | Charles Bradfield MorreyCommercial vaccines are stock vaccines and are usually polyvalent or even mixed.
The Fundamentals of Bacteriology | Charles Bradfield Morrey
British Dictionary definitions for polyvalent
/ (ˌpɒlɪˈveɪlənt, pəˈlɪvələnt) /
chem having more than one valency
(of a vaccine)
effective against several strains of the same disease-producing microorganism, antigen, or toxin
produced from cultures containing several strains of the same microorganism
Derived forms of polyvalent
- polyvalency, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for polyvalent
[ pŏl′ē-vā′lənt ]
Acting against or interacting with more than one kind of antigen, antibody, toxin, or microorganism.
Having more than one valence. Iron and manganese are polyvalent elements.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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