cross-resistance

[ kraws-ri-zis-tuhns, kros- ]

nounBiology.
  1. immunologic resistance to the pathogenic effects of a microorganism because of previous exposure to another species or type having cross-reactive antigens.

  2. resistance to the effects of a substance, as that of an insect population to an insecticide or a bacterial strain to an antibiotic, stimulated by exposure and adaptation to a similar or related substance.

Origin of cross-resistance

1
First recorded in 1945–50

Words Nearby cross-resistance

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024