cross-tolerance

American

[kraws-tol-er-uhns, kros-] / ˈkrɔsˈtɒl ər əns, ˈkrɒs- /

noun

Physiology.

the resistance to one or more effects of a substance because of tolerance to a pharmacologically similar substance.

a cross-tolerance of some alcoholics to anesthetics.

Etymology

Origin of cross-tolerance

First recorded in 1920–25

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 exact mechanism by which methadone works is not known, but it involves tolerance and cross-tolerance, or blockade.

From Time Magazine Archive

Presumably because methadone works on the same brain centers as heroin, it induces a cross-tolerance to heroin and blocks its effects.

From Time Magazine Archive

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