Antibody
/ˈæn.tɪˌbɒd.i/noun
A protein produced by the immune system that recognizes and helps neutralize foreign substances such as pathogens.
Did you know?The term reflects a major nineteenth-century shift in medicine: immunity came to be understood not as mystical resistance, but as a targeted molecular interaction between a body and an invader.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ant-
“Facing, opposite, or against”
Ancient Greek
Greek
anti
“Against, instead of, or in opposition to”
Old English
Old English
bōdig
“The body or trunk; the origin of modern body”
1891
German
Antikörper
““Antibody”; a term associated with immunologist Paul Ehrlich for a substance acting against a specific antigen”
Early 20th Century
English
antibody
“A blood substance produced in response to an antigen”
Modern English
English
antibody
“An immune protein that specifically binds to a foreign target”