Antibodies are substances which a person's or an animal's body produces in their blood in orderto destroy substances which carry disease.
antibody in British English
(ˈæntɪˌbɒdɪ)
nounWord forms: plural-bodies
any of various proteins produced in the blood in response to the presence of an antigen. By becoming attached to antigens on infectious organisms antibodies can render them harmless or cause them to be destroyed
See also immunoglobulin
antibody in American English
(ˈæntɪˌbɑdi; ˈæntəˌbɑdi)
US
nounWord forms: pluralˈantiˌbodies
a specialized protein produced by certain lymphocytes, esp. in response to the presence of an antigen, to neutralize, thus creating immunity to, specific antigens; immunoglobulin
Examples of 'antibody' in a sentence
antibody
Blood tests for antibodies and scans will confirm if this is the case and you may be referred to a tropical infection unit.
The Sun (2016)
The blood bears antibodies to the virus.
Zindell, David The Broken God (1993)
Previously it was thought that antibodies attacked viruses only before they invaded cells.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Mice fed the rice produced antibodies to fight cholera.
The Sun (2007)
It can continue to produce those antibodies for years or decades after it clears an infection.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It is usually caused by a faulty immune system which produces antibodies to its own antibodies thus resulting in self destruction.
Holford, Patrick The Family Nutrition Workbook (1988)
Traditional vaccines work by prompting the body to produce antibodies that home in on a protein on the surface of the influenza virus.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
More serious is rheumatoid arthritis, where antibodies to antibodies are produced.
Holford, Patrick The Family Nutrition Workbook (1988)
It makes and sells antibodies used in medical research, some of them derived from rabbits.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The animal produces antibodies that are smaller than those of other mammals and which bind to the virus and stop it invading white blood cells.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In some cases there is an inherited predisposition to produce specific antibodies, but often there is a more general sensitivity.
Turner, Roger Newman The Hayfever Handbook - a summer survival guide (1988)
It is made by injecting human cancer cells into mice so that the animals' immune systems make antibodies against the cancercells.
The Sun (2006)
The Cambridge company initially produced primary antibodies, tools used in genetic research.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
But with an illness, you only catch one strain, and only make antibodies to that.
The Sun (2016)
Because the surrounding proteins that cause the body to make these antibodies are not present, the antibodies may not form and muscles will still relax.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But she added: 'If you are stung by an insect there is the potential for you to make specific allergic antibodies.
The Sun (2011)
When selenium is taken with vitamin E, it is involved in the production of antibodies.
Martlew, Gillian & Silver, Shelley Stay Well This Winter (1989)
Milk allergy is a true allergy, involving the antibodies in your blood, so it can be easily tested for with a blood test.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The donor and recipient need to have compatible blood groups, and the recipient mustn't have antibodies that will make them reject the organ.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
antibody
British English: antibody /ˈæntɪˌbɒdɪ/ NOUN
Antibodies are substances which your body produces in order to fight diseases.