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serum sickness
noun
: an allergic reaction to the injection of foreign serum manifested by hives, swelling, eruption, arthritis, and fever
Examples of serum sickness in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Other reported effects may include fever, shortness of breath, weakness, vomiting, chills, low blood pressure, and even a challenging condition called serum sickness, in which an overactive immune response leads to fever, rash, and joint swelling.
—Carolyn Barber, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2020
The antibodies would be Friede’s—fully human and unlikely to induce serum sickness, a problem with most existing antivenoms.
—Kyle Dickman, Outside Online, 16 May 2019
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Word History
First Known Use
circa 1913, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of serum sickness was
circa 1913
Dictionary Entries Near serum sickness
Cite this Entry
“Serum sickness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serum%20sickness. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
Medical Definition
serum sickness
noun
: an allergic reaction to the injection of foreign serum manifested by hives, swelling, eruption, arthritis, and fever
called also serum disease
More from Merriam-Webster on serum sickness
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about serum sickness
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