immobilizern.
/ᵻˈməʊbᵻlʌɪzə/, /ᵻˈməʊbl̩ʌɪzə/, U.S. /ᵻˈmoʊbəˌlaɪzər/ 1. gen. Chiefly U.S. A device or agent which immobilizes something or renders something inactive.
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1922 Amer. Naturalist 56 88 Thus the toxins of bacteria incite the production of antitoxins; the bacteria themselves lead to the production of bacterial immobilizers or solvents termed bacteriolysins.
1947 Science 24 Jan. 101/1 The other two are unsatisfactory immobilizers or interfere with the normal physiology of the animal.
1985 Washington Post (Nexis) 12 Mar. b3 If we attempt to shoot them with an immobilizer or tranquilizer, they could die because deer have extremely fragile nervous systems.
1999 Jrnl. (Newcastle) (Nexis) 16 Jan. 14 Surface locks and handle immobilisers are more difficult to secure than on wooden windows.
2.
a. Medicine. Chiefly U.S. An appliance used to immobilize part of the body (sometimes specified by preceding noun), esp. after injury.
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1932 Hispania 15 495 (caption) Head-immobilizer.
1969 Acta Ophthalmologica 47 781 In my work at the Eye Clinic.., I have felt the need for an instrument which can immobilise the eye in a patient sitting in front of the slit lamp on a camera, and I have..devised a haptic plastic eye immobiliser mounted on a handle.
1983 Washington Post (Nexis) 19 May d1 The pitcher.., who hurt himself Tuesday night while lunging and twisting to field a ground ball, will be in an ‘immobilizer’ for at least two weeks.
1997 Pennsylvania Law Weekly (Nexis) 22 Sept. 18 Lauver was hospitalized for two days and prescribed a knee immobilizer for three months following the accident.
2002 T. Shimoda Fourth Treasure (2003) 88 He helped him position his head in the immobilizer.
b. Chiefly British. A device which immobilizes a motor vehicle; esp. an electrical anti-theft device which prevents the engine from being started.
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1962 Times 7 Nov. 7/3 They should take more precautions when engaging staff, fit immobilizers to their vehicles and make special arrangements for particularly vulnerable loads.
1965 Motor 25 Sept. 27/3 Simple immobilizer. An earthing toggle switch on a plated panel and a length of cable for connection to the contact breaker terminal—the S.T.C. car immobilizer will doubtless foil inexperienced car thieves.
1995 Sydney Morning Herald 7 Jan. 55/2 The latest Commodore, also with an immobiliser based on a computer which must receive a signal from the key turning in the ignition before it allows the engine to run, was no easier.
2003 T3 Mar. 34/2 The Peugeot design bods have tweaked the styling for this updated model by redesigning the body panels and headlights, while adding some practical elements such as an immobiliser and an integral boa lock.
c. Botany and Soil Science. An agent which prevents a chemical species from circulating or leaching by absorbing or modifying it. Cf. immobilize v. 2.
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1974 Sci. Amer. June 76/3 The weathering of limestone is the largest part of chemical weathering, and therefore the major immobilizer of carbon dioxide.
1989 Ecology 70 1138/1 the fungus was a net mineralizer of ammonium nitrogen although it should have been a net immobilizer.
1997 New Phytologist 136 469/2 Their effectiveness as bioaccumulators and immobilizers of metal contaminants.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1922