Tuberculin
/ˈtjuːbərkjʊlɪn/noun
A preparation derived from tubercle bacilli, used in testing for tuberculosis and in some treatments.
Did you know?Tuberculin was developed by Robert Koch in 1890, and its name comes from the same Latin root as a 'little swelling'—the physical bump that helped name tuberculosis in the first place.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
tuber
“a swelling, lump, or knobby protuberance”
Late Latin
Latin
tuberculum
“a small swelling or little lump”
18th Century
French/Medical Latin
tubercule
“a small nodule or swelling; later, a lesion characteristic of tuberculosis”
1880s
German/Medical Latin
Tuberkulin
“a preparation made from tubercle bacilli”
Modern English
English
tuberculin
“a purified protein derivative or related preparation used in tuberculosis testing”
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