titer

[ tahy-ter, tee- ]

noun

, Chemistry, Medicine/Medical.

1. the strength of a solution as determined by titration with a standard substance.
2. the concentration of a substance in a given sample as determined by titration.

titer

/ ˈtiː-; ˈtaɪtə /

noun

1. the usual US spelling of titre

titer

/ tī′tər /

1. The concentration of a substance in solution or the strength of such a substance as determined by titration.
2. The minimum volume of a solution needed to cause a particular result in titration.
3. The concentration of antibodies present in the highest dilution of a serum sample at which visible clumps with an appropriate antigen are formed.

Word History and Origins

Origin of titer¹

1830–40; < French titre title, qualification, fineness of alloyed gold or silver < Latin titulus title

Example Sentences

High virus titers — a laboratory test that measures the level of antibodies in a blood sample — were detected in the respiratory organs of several mice.

From Salon

Viral titers in the lung were measured several days after infection and varied significantly depending on the nature of the microbiome of the different animal groups.

From Science Daily

A: In our model, we give it at a very low titer and it causes a very significant, very itchy, full body rash.

From Science Magazine

“With Ebola, it’s clearly direct contact with bodily fluids, because there’s high titers of Ebola pretty much everywhere in somebody who’s died from Ebola,” Dr. Rasmussen said.

From New York Times

But with flu vaccines, scientists have decades of experience and a better understanding of how increases in neutralizing antibody titers correlate with improvements in vaccine effectiveness.

From Salon