interferon

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˌɪntəˈfɪərɒn/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˌɪntɚˈfɪrɑn/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(in′tər fēr′on)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
in•ter•fer•on /ˌɪntɚˈfɪrɑn/USA pronunciation   n. [uncountable]
  1. Biochemistryany of various proteins that interfere with reproduction of an invading virus.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
in•ter•fer•on  (in′tər fēr′on),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. Biochemistryany of various proteins, produced by virus-infected cells, that inhibit reproduction of the invading virus and induce resistance to further infection.
  2. Drugs[Pharm.]Also called alpha-interferon. an interferon produced by genetically engineered bacteria and harvested for use against hairy cell leukemia.
  • interfere + -on1 1957

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
interferon / ˌɪntəˈfɪərɒn/
  1. any of a family of proteins made by cells in response to virus infection that prevent the growth of the virus. Some interferons can prevent cell growth and have been tested for use in cancer therapy
Etymology: 20th Century: from interfere + -on
'interferon' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
-on - alpha-interferon - cytokine - lymphokine

Forum discussions with the word(s) "interferon" in the title:


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