alexin en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /əˈlɛk.sɪn/
Etymology
Ultimately from German Alexine, coined by Hans Buchner in 1891 from the Ancient Greek ἀλέξω (aléxō).
Meanings
-
(countable, dated, uncountable) A protective substance that exists in the serum or other bodily fluid and is capable of killing microorganisms; complement.
The seed of our destruction will blossom in the desert, the alexin of our cure grows by a mountain rock […]
1929, Thomas Wolfe, Look Homeward, Angel, New York: Scribner, Part One, Chapter 1, p. 3:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| alexine | alternative | lexicographic | |
| alexins | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
antialexin · phytoalexin · oryzalexin
Translations (5)
id aleksin (protective substance that exists in the serum) · fr alexine (protective substance that exists in the serum) · pl aleksyna (protective substance that exists in the serum) · pl dopełniacz (protective substance that exists in the serum) · pt alexina (protective substance that exists in the serum)