1. Word finder
  2. Word definitions
  3. allergen

Find the word definition

What is "allergen"

Crossword clues for allergen

allergen
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
allergen
noun
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ Antibodies formed in response to the allergens lead to the release of histamine, which is what produces allergic symptoms.
▪ Certain foods seem to contain more potent allergens than others.
▪ Half the children received shots designed to provide immunity to seven allergens such as dust mites and pollens.
▪ Obviously, avoiding exposure to allergens is the best way to prevent allergic reactions.
▪ The antibodies are protein molecules that can fit on to an allergen and inactivate it.
▪ The dust mite, which thrives in warm, moist air, is the greatest source of allergens for asthmatics.
▪ You should also be suspicious of foods that are known to be potent allergens.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
allergen

substance causing allergy, 1912, from allergy on model of antigen.

Wiktionary
allergen

n. (context medicine English) A substance which causes an allergic reaction.

WordNet
allergen

n. any substance that can cause an allergy

Wikipedia
Allergen

An allergen is a type of antigen that produces an abnormally vigorous immune response in which the immune system fights off a perceived threat that would otherwise be harmless to the body. Such reactions are called allergies.

In technical terms, an allergen is an antigen capable of stimulating a type-I hypersensitivity reaction in atopic individuals through Immunoglobulin E (IgE) responses. Most humans mount significant Immunoglobulin E responses only as a defense against parasitic infections. However, some individuals may respond to many common environmental antigens. This hereditary predisposition is called atopy. In atopic individuals, non-parasitic antigens stimulate inappropriate IgE production, leading to type I hypersensitivity.

Sensitivities vary widely from one person (or other animal) to another. A very broad range of substances can be allergens to sensitive individuals.

Usage examples of "allergen".

Better than the sweet air of Pennsylvania, and all the hidden allergens and catalysts it might be carrying.

It was all she could manage with her lungs burning from exertion and skunk gas and her elbows and knees itching as badly as her ears from the irritant darts, but she knew better than to scratch at them because that only spread the allergens, and meanwhile she had to bite her lip hard and dig her nails into her palms to stop herself from scratching.

Bafforr tree pollen shows promise as an allergen that affects the armor, but it will be some time before the pollen can be synthesized in the amounts needed to serve as an effective deterrent or biological agent.

Meterios has become infected by whatever allergen Brad Karpla brought back from his latest hunt.

That is a rare but proven phenomenon—the proteids of one human body acting as allergens to another.