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opsonin

[ op-suh-nin ]
/ ˈɒp sə nɪn /
|

noun Immunology.

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

Nearby words

  1. opsogen,
  2. opsomania,
  3. opsonic,
  4. opsonic index,
  5. opsonify,
  6. opsonization,
  7. opsonize,
  8. opsonocytophagic,
  9. opsonometry,
  10. opt

Origin of opsonin

1900–05; < Latin opsōn(ium) victuals (< Greek opsōnía, derivative of opsōneîn to buy provisions) + -in2
Related formsop·so·noid, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for opsonin

  • In the case of diphtheria, the antitoxin appears to be more efficacious than an opsonin.

    The Pros and Cons of Vivisection|Charles Richet

  • 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
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 Formsopsonic (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
Medicine definitions for opsonin

opsonin

[ ŏp′sə-nĭn ]

n.

An antibody in blood serum that causes bacteria or other foreign cells to become more susceptible to the action of phagocytes.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.