biologicals
- 1Medical products derived from living organisms, such as vaccines and antitoxins, used to build immunity against disease.
The pharmacy keeps its biologicals refrigerated to preserve their potency.
Public health programs rely on biologicals such as vaccines to control outbreaks.
Similarbiopharmaceuticals
Note
This is an adjective turned into a plural-only noun: a clinic stocks biologicals, but in this sense nobody speaks of a single biological. The class is wider than vaccines. It also includes antitoxins, antisera and recombinant proteins. Some confer active immunity by prompting the body's own defenses, while others give passive immunity by supplying ready-made ones.
- 2Weapons that release disease-causing organisms or toxins to harm people, animals, or crops.
Intelligence officers feared the regime was stockpiling biologicals in hidden bunkers.
International inspectors searched the abandoned facility for any sign of biologicals.
Similarbioweapons
Note
Military and arms-control writing uses the same plural-only noun as the vaccine meaning, so only context tells the two apart. The agents here are pathogens or toxins such as anthrax spores and botulinum toxin, used against people, livestock or crops. The Biological Weapons Convention bans them. Where confusion with medicine is possible, the full phrase biological weapons is clearer.
Practice
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