: material that is foreign to the body of an organism
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebImmunology—her academic specialty—hinges on an essentially military metaphor of distinction between self and nonself: The immune system protects the homeland by destroying invaders. Gabriel Winant, The New Republic, 23 May 2018
Word History
First Known Use
1959, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
nonself
noun
non·self ˈnän-ˈself
: material that is foreign to the body of an organism