antivenom

Also an·ti·ven·in

[an-tee-ven-uhm, an-tahy-]

noun

1. an antitoxin present in the blood of an animal following repeated injections of venom.

2. the antitoxic serum obtained from such blood.

Word History and Origins

Origin of antivenom¹

First recorded in 1890–95; earlier antiven(ene) ( anti- + venene ( def. ) ), from Latin venēnum “potion, poison” ( venom ) + -in ²

Example Sentences

Australia is famously full of such deadly animals - and this room at the Australian Reptile Park plays a critical part in a government antivenom programme, which saves lives on a continent where it's often joked that everything wants to kill you.

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So successful is the antivenom programme here at the Australian Reptile Park that nobody has been killed by one since it started in 1981.

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Meanwhile, the males, which are six to seven times more toxic than the females, are used for the antivenom programme and milked every two weeks, Emma explains.

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While a few drops is enough to kill, scientists need to milk 200 of these spiders to have enough to fill one vial of antivenom.

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In Australia though, those numbers are far lower: between one and four people each year, thanks to its successful antivenom programme.

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