antibiotics

an-ti-bi-ot-ics · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    Medicines that destroy or inhibit the growth of bacteria, used to treat bacterial infections.

  2. 2.

    Substances produced by microorganisms that can kill or inhibit other microorganisms.

Related words

See also: antibiotic, bacteria, medicine, penicillin
Synonyms: antibacterials, antimicrobials

Etymology

Plural of antibiotic, from Greek anti- ("against") + biotikos ("fit for life"), from bios ("life"). The term was coined in 1942 by Selman Waksman.