POLYVALENT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 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

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)

Derivation:

polyvalence; polyvalency ((toxicology) the state of being capable of counteracting more than one toxin or antigen or kind of microorganism)

Sense 2

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)

Derivation:

polyvalence; polyvalency ((chemistry) the state of having a valence greater than two)

 Context examples 

Due to its high level of expression in neuroblastoma, GD2 has the potential to be used as a component of anti-neuroblastoma vaccines, in addition to being used in polyvalent anti-melanoma vaccines.

(Ganglioside GD2, NCI Thesaurus)

CancerVax is an allogenic polyvalent vaccine composed of irradiated but viable cells from three melanoma cell lines and Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG).

(CancerVax, NCI Thesaurus)

The commercially available antidote is a polyvalent antivenom which, when injected into the bloodstream, is expected to neutralise neurotoxic (toxic to nerves) or cytotoxic (toxic to cells) venom.

(‘India needs region-specific snakebite antivenoms’, SciDev.Net)

However, Himmat Saluba Bawaskar, an expert in internal medicine at the Bawaskar Hospital and Research Center, Maharashtra state, tells that in his 40-year clinical experience he has observed that snakebites associated with the ‘big four’ mostly respond well to the currently available polyvalent antivenom.

(‘India needs region-specific snakebite antivenoms’, SciDev.Net)