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nonself

American

[non-self] / nɒnˈsɛlf /

noun

Immunology.

any antigen-bearing foreign material that enters the body and normally stimulates an attack by the body's immune system (distinguished from self).

Etymology

Origin of nonself

First recorded in 1870–75; non- + self

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.

See Examples For:

nonself

Not long after researchers proved that plants can distinguish "self" from "nonself" roots, she tested whether they could also pick out and favor kin.

From Science Magazine ● Jan. 3, 2019

Because the arms of the Y-shaped antibodies attach randomly to more than one nonself erythrocyte surface, they form clumps of erythrocytes.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

Antigens are nonself molecules, usually large proteins, which provoke an immune response.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013

His motifs are not actors in a drama of pathetic fallacy, but resistant fragments of the world, the nonself.

From Time Magazine Archive

One of the more devastating errors of the immune system involves its failure to distinguish between self and nonself, resulting in so-called autoimmune diseases, which can be crippling and sometimes fatal.

From Time Magazine Archive

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