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

---

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

---

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  

/ sā′bĭn /

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

See Examples For:

Sabin

After reading “Microbe Hunters,” Paul de Kruif’s popular 1926 account of pioneers in microbiology, Sabin found his calling.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

But despite its effectiveness in eliminating polio, the live virus occasionally mutated back into its pathogenic form, resulting in rare cases of vaccine-related polio—something that Sabin refused to acknowledge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

It asks Mr. Burger to provide communications between the Sabin Center, ELI, CJP and Sher Edling on judicial curriculum development.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

Michigan has more local restrictions on renewable energy than any other state, according to the Sabin Center.

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