English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com

vaccine

The origin and history of vaccine.

Etymology

From Latin vaccinus, "of a cow," from vacca ("cow"). Edward Jenner coined the related Latin term variolae vaccinae ("cowpox") in the late 1700s, after using cowpox material to protect people against smallpox.

← Back to the full definition of vaccine
Etymology from freedict-original, original.