antirabies
|an-ti-ray-bies|
/ˌæn.tiˈreɪ.biːz/
against rabies
Etymology
'antirabies' originates from a combination of the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against') and the noun 'rabies' (from Latin 'rabies'), where 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'rabies' meant 'madness or rage'.
'rabies' was a Latin word 'rabies' meaning 'madness' (applied to the disease in animals) and entered English via Medieval Latin/Old French; the compound 'anti-rabies' is a modern English formation combining Greek 'anti-' with the established medical noun 'rabies'.
Initially, 'rabies' meant 'madness' or 'rage' (especially in animals); over time the compound 'antirabies' came to mean 'against rabies' or 'preventing/treating rabies' in medical contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a vaccine, serum, or medical treatment used to prevent or treat rabies (often referring to antirabies serum or vaccine).
The clinic administered antirabies to the bite victim as a precaution.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
directed against or used to prevent rabies (e.g., antirabies vaccine or antirabies treatment).
They scheduled an antirabies vaccination for the injured dog.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/08 12:10