cross-reaction: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical/Formal
Quick answer
What does “cross-reaction” mean?
An immunological response where an antibody or immune cell reacts not only to its specific target antigen but also to a different, structurally similar antigen.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An immunological response where an antibody or immune cell reacts not only to its specific target antigen but also to a different, structurally similar antigen.
Any situation where a stimulus intended for one specific system or context produces a related but unintended response in another connected or similar system.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or spelling. The hyphen is standard in both varieties for this compound noun.
Connotations
Identical technical connotations. In metaphorical use, it retains a slightly clinical tone.
Frequency
Equally rare in general discourse but standard in relevant scientific literature in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “cross-reaction” in a Sentence
cross-reaction between X and Ycross-reaction to/with Zcross-reaction caused by XVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cross-reaction” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The antibody may cross-react with proteins in cow's milk.
- We need to check if the new vaccine candidate will cross-react.
American English
- The test can cross-react with similar viral strains.
- They were concerned the drug might cross-react.
adverb
British English
- The test reacted cross-reactively with several pollens.
American English
- The compound binds cross-reactively to both receptors.
adjective
British English
- The cross-reactive potential of the serum was high.
- They observed a cross-reactive immune response.
American English
- The assay has cross-reactive properties.
- Cross-reactive antibodies were identified.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rarely used; might appear metaphorically in risk assessment: 'The marketing campaign caused a cross-reaction, negatively affecting our premium brand.'
Academic
Common in medical, biological, and chemical literature to describe immune or chemical interactions.
Everyday
Virtually never used in casual conversation.
Technical
The primary context, specifically in immunology, allergy testing, and analytical chemistry.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cross-reaction”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cross-reaction”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cross-reaction”
- Writing as one word ('crossreaction') or two separate words ('cross reaction') without the hyphen is non-standard. Using it to mean a simple 'side effect' without the element of structural similarity is inaccurate.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A cross-reaction is a specific mechanism that can cause an allergic reaction. Not all allergies involve cross-reactions, and cross-reactions can occur in non-allergic contexts (e.g., in laboratory tests).
The verb form is 'cross-react.' The noun 'cross-reaction' describes the event or phenomenon itself.
No, it is a specialised technical term. You will encounter it mainly in medical, scientific, or related professional contexts.
They are closely related. 'Cross-reaction' typically refers to a single event or instance of this phenomenon. 'Cross-reactivity' is a broader, more abstract noun describing the general property or capacity of a substance to cause cross-reactions.
An immunological response where an antibody or immune cell reacts not only to its specific target antigen but also to a different, structurally similar antigen.
Cross-reaction is usually technical/formal in register.
Cross-reaction: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkrɒs riˈækʃn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkrɔːs riˈækʃn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to this term”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a security guard (antibody) trained to stop one criminal (antigen). He mistakenly arrests the criminal's look-alike cousin (similar antigen) – that's a CROSS-REACTION.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IS A SECURITY SYSTEM (that can sometimes misidentify targets).
Practice
Quiz
In which field is the term 'cross-reaction' most precisely and primarily defined?