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Antibiotic: meaning, definitions and examples

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antibiotic

 

[ ˌænti.baɪˈɑː.tɪk ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

medical treatment

A medicine that inhibits the growth of or destroys microorganisms.

Synonyms

antibacterial, antimicrobial

Examples of usage

  • The doctor prescribed an antibiotic to treat the infection.
  • Antibiotics are commonly used to combat bacterial infections.
Context #2 | Noun

biology

A substance that can destroy or inhibit the growth of certain microorganisms.

Synonyms

antibacterial, antimicrobial

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.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #10,171, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.