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Definition 2024

antibiotic

antibiotic

See also: antibiòtic

English

Noun

antibiotic ‎(plural antibiotics)

  1. (pharmacology) Any substance that can destroy or inhibit the growth of bacteria and similar microorganisms.

Derived terms

Hyponyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:antibiotic

Translations

Adjective

antibiotic ‎(comparative more antibiotic, superlative most antibiotic)

  1. (pharmacology) Of or relating to antibiotics.
  2. (obsolete) Of or relating to the theory that extraterrestrial life does not exist.

Translations

See also

Etymology

From French antibiotique, coined in 1889 by P. Vuillemin from anti- and biotique, from Ancient Greek βιωτικός ‎(biōtikós, “concerning or relating to life”) (from βίος ‎(bíos, “life”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeih₃w- ‎(“to live”)), perhaps influenced by ἀντίβιος ‎(antíbios, “opposed”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˌæn.ti.baɪˈɒt.ɪk/, /ˌæn.taɪ.baɪˈɒt.ɪk/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˌæn.taɪ.baɪˈɑ.tɪk/, /ˌæn.tə.baɪˈɑ.tɪk/
  • Rhymes: -ɒtɪk

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