# APC

/ˈeɪˈpiˈsi/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/apc
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. military vehicle

noun · CEFR B2

Stands for Armored Personnel Carrier. A military vehicle used to carry soldiers safely into battle.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Armored Personnel Carrier. A combat vehicle designed to transport infantry to the front lines while providing protection against small arms fire and shrapnel.

- The soldiers climbed into the APC before moving toward the city.
- The infantry unit deployed from the APC under heavy cover, utilizing the vehicle's armor to shield their advance toward the objective.

### 2. cleaning product

noun · CEFR B2

Stands for All-Purpose Cleaner. A liquid used for cleaning many different surfaces in a home or car.

For teachers: Abbreviation for All-Purpose Cleaner. A versatile detergent formulated for use on a wide variety of surfaces, commonly used in automotive detailing and household maintenance.

- I used some APC to get the dirt off the car seats.
- Professional detailers often dilute APC to different strengths depending on whether they are cleaning delicate interior plastics or greasy engine components.

### 3. publishing fee

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

Stands for Article Processing Charge. A fee that authors pay to make their research paper available for everyone to read for free.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Article Processing Charge. A fee sometimes charged to authors by academic journals to cover the costs of publication and make the work open access.

- The university library helped the professor pay the APC for her new study.
- Many researchers express concern that rising APC costs may prevent scholars from underfunded institutions from publishing in prestigious open-access journals.

### 4. biology/medicine

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

Stands for Antigen-Presenting Cell. A type of immune cell that helps your body recognize and fight germs.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Antigen-Presenting Cell. A cell that displays foreign antigens complexed with major histocompatibility complexes on its surface to activate T-cells.

- The APC identifies the virus and shows it to other immune cells.
- Effective immune surveillance relies on the ability of an APC to process pathogens and present their peptide fragments to naive T-lymphocytes.

### 5. old medicine

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Technical

Stands for Aspirin-Phenacetin-Caffeine. An old type of painkiller pill that is not used much today.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Aspirin-Phenacetin-Caffeine. A once-common compound analgesic; its use declined significantly after phenacetin was linked to kidney damage.

- Doctors used to prescribe APC tablets for headaches in the mid-20th century.
- The historical medical records indicate the patient was treated with APC for chronic neuralgia before the risks of phenacetin were fully understood.

### 6. ammunition type

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

Stands for Armor Piercing Capped. A type of bullet or shell designed to break through thick metal armor.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Armor Piercing Capped. Describing a kinetic energy projectile fitted with a soft metal cap to prevent the hard point from shattering upon impact with face-hardened armor.

- The tank used APC shells to penetrate the enemy's defenses.
- Naval gunnery improved significantly with the introduction of APC rounds, which could defeat the heavy plating of contemporary dreadnoughts.

## Examples

- The soldiers climbed into the APC before the mission started.
- The infantry unit deployed from the APC under the cover of smoke to secure the perimeter of the village.
- Modern military doctrine emphasizes the use of an APC not just for transport, but as a mobile command post capable of maintaining secure communications during high-intensity urban operations.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.