Word
penicillin
Phoneticspeni·cillin
US/ˌpɛnəˈsɪɫən/
UK/pˈɛnɪsˌɪlɪn/
Definitions
01medicine
n. a type of medicine called an antibiotic that kills bacteria and treats many common illnesses.
n. a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium moulds, used to treat various bacterial infections by inhibiting cell wall synthesis.
“The doctor gave him penicillin to help clear up his chest infection.”
“The discovery of penicillin revolutionised modern medicine, providing a powerful tool against previously fatal bacterial diseases.”
Synonyms
02the mould
n. the specific type of blue-green mould that scientists use to make the medicine.
n. a fungus of the genus Penicillium that produces the antibiotic substance.
“Alexander Fleming noticed that a specific penicillin mould was killing the bacteria in his lab.”
“Researchers isolated the active compound from the penicillin mould to develop the first mass-produced antibiotic.”
Technical
Real-World Examples
“In this regard, Torres notes that penicillin allergy is overdiagnosed.” Etymology
From translingual Penicillium + -in. Coined by Alexander Fleming after Penicillium notatum (now Penicillium chrysogenum), a fungus from which penicillin is obtained.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/penicillin