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POLYVALENT

Dictionary entry overview: What does polyvalent mean?

• POLYVALENT (adjective)
The adjective POLYVALENT has 2 senses:

1. containing several antibodies each capable of counteracting a specific antigen
2. having more than one valence, or having a valence of 3 or higher

Familiarity information: POLYVALENT used as an adjective is rare.

Dictionary entry details

• POLYVALENT (adjective)

Sense 1

polyvalent ^{[BACK TO TOP]}

Meaning:

Containing several antibodies each capable of counteracting a specific antigen

Context example:

a polyvalent vaccine

Attribute:

valence; valency ((biology) a relative capacity to unite or react or interact as with antigens or a biological substrate)

Domain category:

immunology (the branch of medical science that studies the body's immune system)

Antonym:

monovalent (containing only one kind of antibody)

Sense 2

polyvalent ^{[BACK TO TOP]}

Meaning:

Having more than one valence, or having a valence of 3 or higher

Synonyms:

multivalent; polyvalent

Attribute:

valence; valency ((chemistry) a property of atoms or radicals; their combining power given in terms of the number of hydrogen atoms (or the equivalent))

Domain category:

chemical science; chemistry (the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions)

Antonym:

monovalent (having a valence of 1)

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POLYVALENT: related words searches

» What does chemical science mean?
» Definition of valency
» What does monovalent mean?
» Definition of immunology
» monovalent: pronunciation in phonetic transcription

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