vaccine Definition

vaccine
noun

1. medicine.
A preparation containing killed or weakened (attenuated) bacteria or viruses, or serum containing specific antibodies, used in vaccination to confer temporary or permanent immunity to a bacterial or viral disease by stimulating the body to produce antibodies to a specific bacterium or virus.
2. medicine., historical
Cowpox virus, or lymph containing it, used for inoculation against smallpox.
3. computing.
A piece of software designed to detect and remove computer viruses (see virus 5) from a floppy disk, program, etc.

Derivative: vaccinal
adj

Etymology: 18c: from viriolae vaccinae cowpox, the title of a paper (1798) by E Jenner, from Latin vacca cow.