toxin-antitoxin

American  

[tok-sin-an-ti-tok-sin, -an-tee-, -an-ti-tok-sin, -an-tee-] / ˈtɒk sɪnˌæn tɪˈtɒk sɪn, -ˌæn ti-, -ˈæn tɪˌtɒk sɪn, -ˈæn ti- /

noun

Immunology.

1. a mixture of toxin and antitoxin, formerly used to induce active immunity against certain diseases, especially diphtheria.

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toxin-antitoxin British  

noun

1. a mixture of a specific toxin and antitoxin. The diphtheria toxin-antitoxin was formerly used in the US for active immunization

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Etymology

Origin of toxin-antitoxin

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Parents in the 1950s were generally enthusiastic about the polio vaccine, but 30 years earlier, parents whose children were encouraged to receive the novel diphtheria toxin-antitoxin were more hesitant.

From Slate • Mar. 16, 2021

In all the years New York tested out toxin-antitoxin injections on city kids, there were no major incidents.

From Slate • Feb. 9, 2021

In Boston, in 1924, a group of children got severe cases of the disease after injections with some toxin-antitoxin that had been frozen and thawed, separating the mixture and reactivating the toxin.

From Slate • Feb. 9, 2021

Aboard each car he loaded a doctor, two nurses and a refrigerator full of toxin-antitoxin.

From Time Magazine Archive

When the child was one year old, she received toxin-antitoxin against diphtheria.

From Time Magazine Archive