*immun*

n. [ Cf. F. immondicité, L. immunditia, immundities. ] Uncleanness; filthiness. [ R. ] W. Montagu. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. immunis. See Immunity. ] 1. Exempt; protected. -- Im*mu"nize v. t. [1913 Webster]

2. (Med.) Protected from disease due to the action of the immune system, especially by having been inoculated against or previously exposed to a disease. [PJC]

3. (Med.) Of or pertaining to the immune system or the components of the immune system. [PJC]

4. Not responsive; as, immune to suggestion. [PJC]

n. One who is immune; esp., a person who is immune from a disease by reason of previous affection with the disease or inoculation. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. (Biol.) The complex of cells, cellular processes, and substances within and diffused throughout an organism which allow the organism to counteract or destroy noxious foreign substances introduced into the body, destroy infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses, destroy malignant cells, and remove cellular debris, thus protecting the organism against many of the potentially harmful external agents and internal events that could lead to sickness or death. The system has numerous interacting components, including circulating antibodies, antibody-producing cells, white blood cells and lymphokines, lymph tissue and lymph nodes, and stem cells which may differentiate into other types of cell, together with the thymus and spleen. The system is responsible for the phenomenon of immunity{ 3 }. See also immunoglobulin and antibody. [ PJC ]

n. Same as immunization. [ Chiefly Brit. ]
Syn. -- immunization. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n.; pl. Immunities [ L. immunitas, fr. immunis free from a public service; pref. im- not + munis complaisant, obliging, cf. munus service, duty: cf. F. immunité. See Common, and cf. Mean, a. ] 1. Freedom or exemption from any charge, duty, obligation, office, tax, imposition, penalty, or service; a particular privilege; as, the immunities of the free cities of Germany; the immunities of the clergy. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Freedom; exemption; as, immunity from error. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The state of being insusceptible to disease, certain poisons, etc. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. the act of making immune (especially by inoculation).
Syn. -- immunisation. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. 1 (Med.) rendered less susceptible (to disease) by treatment with a vaccine.
Syn. -- vaccinated. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. rendered insusceptible. [ PJC ]

n. (Biochemistry) electrophoresis to separate antigens and antibodies. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. any substance that produces immunity when introduced into the body. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

pos>n. (1953) any one of a class of globular proteins which are antibodies and are produced by the immune system in animals. The immunoglobulins form a series of related proteins which are each composed of two pairs of polypeptide chains, called heavy (H) and light (L, meaning of lower molecular weight), all linked together by disulfide bonds. They are subdivided on the basis of the structural and antigenic properties of the H chains into four subgroups, immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin M (IgM), and immunoglobulin D (IgD). They are divided also into subclasses. Both H and L chains of anny given class and subclass have regions which are of constant structure within that class, as well as regions which are of variable structure. The variable regions impart the ability to recognize and bind to specific molecular structures, thus providing the organism the capacity to recognize and defend itself against the harmful effects of substances foreign to the body. Stedman
Syn. -- Ig. [ PJC ]

a. Of or pertaining to immunology. [ PJC ]

n. The science which studies the immune system, the processes of immunity, and the nature of the immune response, and techniques of analysis which use the immune response. [ WordNet 1.5 ]