Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Jump To:
  • sabin
    sabin
    noun
    a unit of sound absorption, equal to one square foot (929 square centimeters) of a perfectly absorptive surface.
  • Sabin
    Sabin
    noun
    Albert Bruce, 1906–93, U.S. physician, born in Poland: developed Sabin vaccine.

sabin

1 American  
[sey-bin] / ˈseɪ bɪn /

noun

  1. Physics. a unit of sound absorption, equal to one square foot (929 square centimeters) of a perfectly absorptive surface.


Sabin 2 American  
[sey-bin] / ˈseɪ bɪn /

noun

  1. Albert Bruce, 1906–93, U.S. physician, born in Poland: developed Sabin vaccine.


Sabin 1 British  
/ ˈseɪbɪn /

noun

  1. Albert Bruce. 1906–93, US microbiologist, born in Poland. He developed the Sabin vaccine (1955), taken orally to immunize against poliomyelitis

"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

sabin 2 British  
/ ˈseɪ-, ˈsæbɪn /

noun

  1. physics a unit of acoustic absorption equal to the absorption resulting from one square foot of a perfectly absorbing surface

"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

Sabin 1 Scientific  
  1. American microbiologist and physician who developed a vaccine against polio that contained an active form of the polio virus (1957). This replaced a less effective vaccine, invented by Jonas Salk, that contained an inactivated form of the virus.


sabin 2 Scientific  
/ sābĭn /
  1. A unit of acoustic absorption such that one square meter of material of one sabin absorbs 100 percent of the sound energy that strikes it.


Etymology

Origin of sabin

First recorded in 1930–35; named after W. C. Sabine

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:

Sabin saw his opportunity and undertook an unprecedented act of cooperation with Cold War-era Russia.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 21, 2026

As a young doctor, Sabin became familiar with the suffering of those afflicted by polio following a 1931 outbreak and resolved to focus his research on the disease.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 21, 2026

The family took the name Sabin and settled in Paterson, N.J., where Abram, now called Albert, became an accomplished high-school student.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 21, 2026

People have many reasons for taking issue with large-scale solar development, said Michael Gerrard, an environmental lawyer and founder of Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law.

From Salon Apr. 27, 2026

Though they are far more experienced, army surgeon Dr. Charles Sabin Taft and Dr. Albert King defer to their younger colleague because Dr. Leale was first on the scene.

From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training