humoral

American

[hyoo-mer-uhl, yoo-] / ˈhyu mər əl, ˈyu- /

adjective

Physiology.

of, relating to, or proceeding from a fluid of the body.

humoral British

/ ˈhjuːmərəl /

adjective

immunol denoting or relating to a type of immunity caused by free antibodies circulating in the blood
obsolete of or relating to the four bodily fluids (humours)

"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

Etymology

Origin of humoral

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Medieval Latin word hūmōrālis. See humor, -al ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The review carried out suggests inactivated vaccines are a safe and affordable option that primarily activate humoral immunity -- the part of our immune system that produces antibodies.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2024

These vaccines work by triggering both cellular and humoral immune responses against the spike protein of the virus.

From Science Daily • Mar. 8, 2024

Take humoral theory: In the Middle Ages, the body was thought to consist of four liquid components called humors—blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm.

From National Geographic • Nov. 29, 2023

There are two types of adaptive responses: cell-mediated immune response, carried out by T cells, and the humoral immune response, controlled by activated B cells and their production of antibodies.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Instead, doctors based their medical thinking on the 2,500-year-old Greek humoral theory.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023