multivalencen.
/ˌmʌltɪˈveɪləns/, /ˌmʌltɪˈveɪln̩s/, U.S. /ˌməltiˈveɪl(ə)ns/; see also multi- comb. form. 1. Science. The state or property of being multivalent; multivalency.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > biology > substance > process stimulators or inhibitors > immunogen or antigen > [noun] > ability to attach at several sites
multivalence1937
the world > life > biology > substance > process stimulators or inhibitors > antibody > [noun] > ability to attach at several sites
multivalence1937
the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > antidote > [noun] > ability to act at several sites
polyvalence1902
multivalence1937
1870 J. P. Cooke First Princ. Chem. Philos. 74 On the multivalence of one or more of its atoms depends the integrity of every complex molecule.
1937 Jrnl. Immunol. 32 119 (heading) On the mutual multivalence of toxin and antitoxin.
1940 Jrnl. Amer. Chem. Soc. 62 2646/1 (heading) The bivalence of antibodies and the multivalence of antigens.
1995 Analyt. Biochem. 228 238 This deviation from pseudo-first-order kinetics originates from multivalence of the partitioning protein.
2. The property of having many meanings or interpretations. Cf. ambivalence n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > meaning > meaning of linguistic unit > [noun] > plurality of meaning
polysemy1928
multivalence1933
1933 Mind 42 49 The solution of these paradoxes lies in the ambiguity... Multivalence would be better. Because it is a multiplicity of use not of meaning.
1965 Eng. Stud. 46 28 This very multivalence..is the crux of a mythological interpretation, by which such a general mother-goddess may be associated with almost anything on earth and sea.
1993 World & I Mar. 318/2 The essays demonstrate that some of the multivalence of the Civil War necessarily translates into ambivalence over the interpretation of Lincoln himself.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1870