animal model

noun

: an animal sufficiently like humans in its anatomy, physiology, or response to a pathogen to be used in medical research in order to obtain results that can be extrapolated to human medicine

also : a pathological or physiological condition that occurs in such an animal and is similar to one occurring in humans

Examples of animal model in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some ultrafine particles even reach the brain, where they have been detected in human tissue and shown in animal models to travel along the olfactory nerve. —Bill Frist, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025

Fruit flies are among the most important animal models for biomedical research because scientists have been able to map their genomes and brains. —Evan Bush, NBC news, 15 Sep. 2025

An animal model would also have allowed proper microbiome analysis, which could have provided far more meaningful insights. —Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025

Miller and his team have already built a prototype machine that automates the administration of anesthesia and works very well in animal models. —Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for animal model

• caudal
• caudle
• dawdle
• twaddle
• waddle
• remodel

Medical Definition

animal model

noun

: an animal sufficiently like humans in its anatomy, physiology, or response to a pathogen to be used in medical research in order to obtain results that can be extrapolated to human medicine

also : a pathological or physiological condition that occurs in such an animal and is similar (as in its pathology or physiology) to a human condition

experimental allergic encephalomyelitis is a useful animal model in the study of multiple sclerosis in humans