Antibiotic: meaning, definitions and examples
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antibiotic
[ ˌænti.baɪˈɑː.tɪk ]
medical treatment
A medicine that inhibits the growth of or destroys microorganisms.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- The doctor prescribed an antibiotic to treat the infection.
- Antibiotics are commonly used to combat bacterial infections.
biology
A substance that can destroy or inhibit the growth of certain microorganisms.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- Some bacteria have developed resistance to antibiotics.
- Penicillin was the first antibiotic discovered.
Translations
Translations of the word "antibiotic" in other languages:
🇵🇹 antibiótico
🇮🇳 एंटीबायोटिक (Antibiotic)
🇩🇪 Antibiotikum
🇮🇩 antibiotik
🇺🇦 антибіотик
🇵🇱 antybiotyk
🇯🇵 抗生物質 (こうせいぶっしつ)
🇫🇷 antibiotique
🇪🇸 antibiótico
🇹🇷 antibiyotik
🇰🇷 항생제 (hangsaengje)
🇸🇦 مضاد حيوي (mudad hayawi)
🇨🇿 antibiotikum
🇸🇰 antibiotikum
🇨🇳 抗生素 (kàngshēngsù)
🇸🇮 antibiotik
🇮🇸 sýklalyf
🇰🇿 антибиотик
🇬🇪 ანტიბიოტიკი (antibiotiki)
🇦🇿 antibiotik
🇲🇽 antibiótico
Word origin
The term 'antibiotic' was first used in 1942 by Selman Waksman, an American microbiologist, to describe a substance produced by microorganisms that can inhibit the growth of other microorganisms. The discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928 is considered a landmark in the history of antibiotics, leading to the development of many other antibiotics over the years. Antibiotics revolutionized medicine by providing effective treatment for bacterial infections.