opsonin

[ op-suh-nin ]

/ ˈɒp sə nɪn /

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noun Immunology.

a constituent of normal or immune blood serum that makes invading bacteria more susceptible to the destructive action of the phagocytes.

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Origin of opsonin

1900–05; <Latin opsōn(ium) victuals (<Greek opsōnía, derivative of opsōneîn to buy provisions) + -in²

OTHER WORDS FROM opsonin

op·so·noid, adjective

Words nearby opsonin

opsin, -opsis, opsonic, opsonic index, opsonify, opsonin, opsonize, -opsy, opt, optative, opted

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use opsonin in a sentence

They appear to be more or less specific, a separate opsonin being necessary for phagocytosis of each species of bacteria.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Opsonin is what you butter the disease germs with to make your white blood corpuscles eat them.
The Doctor's Dilemma|George Bernard Shaw
The "opsonin," or "relish," is something exuded into or produced in the blood fluid when the attacking microbe arrives.
More Science From an Easy Chair|Sir E. Ray (Edwin Ray) Lankester
Wright proposed for these bodies the name opsonin, derived from a Greek word signifying to prepare a meal for.
The Fundamentals of Bacteriology|Charles Bradfield Morrey

In the case of diphtheria, the antitoxin appears to be more efficacious than an opsonin.
The Pros and Cons of Vivisection|Charles Richet

British Dictionary definitions for opsonin

opsonin

/ (ˈɒpsənɪn) /

noun

a constituent of blood serum that renders invading bacteria more susceptible to ingestion by phagocytes in the serum

Derived forms of opsonin

opsonic (ɒpˈsɒnɪk), adjective

Word Origin for opsonin

C20: from Greek opsōnion victuals

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012