ˈantə̇jən, -ˌjen, -in noun
( -s )
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary anti- (I) + -gen
1. : a usually protein or carbohydrate substance (as a toxin, enzyme, or any of certain constituents of blood corpuscles or of other cells), that when introduced into the body stimulates the production of an antibody
2. : a substance that reacts in complement fixation with an antibody to bind complement, the antigen and antibody usually being specific
• an·ti·gen·ic | ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷|jenik adjective
• an·ti·gen·i·cal·ly -ə̇k(ə)lē adverb
• an·ti·genicity -jə|nisəd.ē noun -es