immunosuppress

American  

[im-yuh-noh-suh-pres, ih-myoo-] / ˌɪm yə noʊ səˈprɛs, ɪˌmyu- /

verb (used with or without object)

1. to suppress the normal immune response.

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Usage

What does immunosuppress mean? Immunosuppress is a verb that means to suppress or weaken the body’s immune system,  as in The surgeon immunosuppressed the patient so the body wouldn’t reject the transplanted kidney. The body’s immune system is a complex network that protects the body from foreign substances, destroys infections and harmful cells, and removes cellular debris, or the waste that’s left after a cell dies. Because the immune system is the body’s defense against illness, when it is suppressed, you’re more likely to get an infection. A doctor might immunosuppress a patient, though, when the patient is to get a donated organ, for example. By immunosuppressing the patient, the body is more likely to accept the new organ. Example: The doctor was faced with a tough decision about whether to immunosuppress the patient before the surgery.

Etymology

Origin of immunosuppress

1965–70; back formation from immunosuppression or immunosuppressive

Example Sentences

"We all thought we didn't have to immunosuppress her."

From Time Magazine Archive