serum

[ seer-uhm ]
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noun,plural se·rums, se·ra [seer-uh]. /ˈsɪər ə/.
  1. the clear, pale-yellow liquid that separates from the clot in the coagulation of blood; blood serum.

  1. any watery animal fluid.

  2. the thin, clear part of the fluid of plants.

  3. milk whey.

Origin of serum

1
1655–65; <Latin: whey

Other words from serum

  • se·rum·al, adjective

Words Nearby serum

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How to use serum in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for serum

serum

/ (ˈsɪərəm) /


nounplural -rums or -ra (-rə)
  1. antitoxin obtained from the blood serum of immunized animals

  1. physiol zoology clear watery fluid, esp that exuded by serous membranes

  2. a less common word for whey

Origin of serum

1
C17: from Latin: whey

Derived forms of serum

  • serumal, adjective

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 serum

serum

[ sîrəm ]


Plural serums sera
  1. Blood serum extracted from an animal that has immunity to a particular disease. The serum contains antibodies to one or more specific disease antigens, and when injected into humans or other animals, it can transfer immunity to those diseases.

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