multivalent

[ muhl-ti-vey-luhnt, muhl-tiv-uh-luhnt ]

adjective
  1. Chemistry. having a valence of three or higher.

  2. Immunology.

    • containing several kinds of antibody.

    • pertaining to an antibody that contains many antigen-binding sites.

    • pertaining to an antibody that has many determinants.

Origin of multivalent

1
First recorded in 1870–75; multi- + -valent

Other words from multivalent

  • mul·ti·va·lence, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for multivalent

multivalent

/ (ˌmʌltɪˈveɪlənt) /


adjective
  1. another word for polyvalent

Derived forms of multivalent

  • multivalency, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for multivalent

multivalent

[ mŭl′tĭ-vālənt, mŭl-tĭvə-lənt ]


  1. Polyvalent.

  2. Relating to the association of three or more homologous chromosomes during the first division of meiosis.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.