serum

See also: Serum and sérum

English

Etymology

From Latin serum (“whey”). Cognates: French sérum, Spanish suero, Italian siere, siero.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈsɪəɹəm/, /ˈsiːɹəm/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈsɪɹ.əm/

Noun

serum (plural serums or sera)

  1. The clear yellowish liquid obtained upon separating whole blood into its solid and liquid components after it has been allowed to clot. Also called blood serum.
  2. Blood serum from the tissues of immunized animals, containing antibodies and used to transfer immunity to another individual, called antiserum.
  3. A watery liquid from animal tissue, especially one that moistens the surface of serous membranes or that is exuded by such membranes when they become inflamed, such as in edema or a blister.
  4. The watery portion of certain animal fluids, as blood, milk, etc; whey.
  5. (skincare) An intensive moisturising product to be applied after cleansing but before a general moisturiser.

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

  • serum in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • serum in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
  • serum at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

Dutch

Etymology

Ultimately from Latin serum. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈseː.rʏm/, [ˈsɪː.rʏm]
  • Audio(file)
  • Hyphenation: se‧rum

Noun

serum n (plural sera or serums)

  1. blood serum

Derived terms

Latin

Etymology 1

From Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to flow, run”); see also Sanskrit सर (sara, “flowing”), सरित् (sarit, “river, brook”) and Ancient Greek ὁρός (horós, “whey”).

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈse.rum/, [ˈsɛ.rũ]

Noun

serum n (genitive serī); second declension

  1. whey
Inflection

Second declension.

Case Singular Plural
nominative serum sera
genitive serī serōrum
dative serō serīs
accusative serum sera
ablative serō serīs
vocative serum sera
Descendants

Etymology 2

Adjective

sērum

  1. nominative neuter singular of sērus

References

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin serum (“whey”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /sěːrum/
  • Hyphenation: se‧rum

Noun

sérum m (Cyrillic spelling се́рум)

  1. serum

Declension

Spanish

Noun

serum m (plural serums)

  1. serum
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