What does tuberculin mean?
Tuberculin is a diagnostic substance derived from cultures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. It is introduced into the skin in a procedure commonly called the tuberculin test or tuberculin skin test. A positive reaction can indicate that a person has been infected with or previously exposed to the bacterium, but it does not distinguish latent infection from active tuberculosis; further medical evaluation is therefore required. The test became an important tool in public health and tuberculosis screening, especially before effective antibiotics were available. Although modern testing may use various forms of tuberculin, including purified protein derivative, the word continues to designate the basic preparation associated with this classic skin test. Tuberculin is principally a technical term found in medical, laboratory, and public-health contexts rather than everyday speech.
nounA preparation derived from cultures of the tuberculosis bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, used in skin testing to indicate prior exposure or infection. A positive reaction does not by itself establish that active tuberculosis is present.
- A preparation derived from cultures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and used in skin tests to indicate prior exposure to or infection with the tuberculosis bacterium.
"The clinic used a tuberculin skin test to determine whether the patient had previously encountered the tuberculosis bacterium."
"The clinic used a tuberculin skin test to screen the healthcare worker for tuberculosis exposure."
"A positive tuberculin reaction prompted the physician to evaluate the patient for active disease."
The plural is rare; tuberculin is normally used as an uncountable noun referring to a diagnostic preparation or substance.
"Researchers historically compared different tuberculins prepared by varying methods."
A tiny injection can reveal a bacterium's long-ago fingerprint—but not whether the disease is still active.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tuberculin come from?
Tuberculin was named in the late nineteenth century during the development of diagnostic methods for tuberculosis. Its name combines the Latin tuberculum, a diminutive referring to a swelling or nodule, with the substance-forming suffix -in. Related English words include tuberculosis, tubercle, tuberculous, and tubercular, all reflecting the same Latin root for a lump or nodule.
How tuberculin is actually used
This is a formal medical term used chiefly in diagnostics, public health, and laboratory contexts. It is more common in British English to use the established compound “tuberculin test” than to use the noun by itself.
Easily confused with tuberculin
Tuberculosis is the infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, whereas tuberculin is the diagnostic preparation used to detect exposure to the bacterium.
Tuberculous is an adjective describing something affected by or related to tuberculosis, while tuberculin is the substance used in a diagnostic skin test.