a derivative, C43H58N4O12, of an antibiotic prepared from a culture of soil bacteria (Streptomyces mediterranei), used in treating tuberculosis, spinal meningitis, etc. by inhibiting the RNA synthesis of the bacteria
: also riˈfampicin (raɪˈfæmpəsɪn)
Word origin
< rifamycin (< rifa- < ? + -mycin), an antibiotic derived from a fungus