cross-resistance: Meaning and Definition of

cross-re•sist•ance

Pronunciation: (krôs'ri-zis'tuns, kros'-), [key]
— n. Biol.
  1. immunologic resistance to the pathogenic effects of a microorganism because of previous exposure to another species or type having cross-reactive antigens.
  2. resistance to the effects of a substance, as that of an insect population to an insecticide or a bacterial strain to an antibiotic, stimulated by exposure and adaptation to a similar or related substance.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.