antibioticnoun [ C ]
uk/ˌæn.ti.baɪˈɒt.ɪk/us/ˌæn.t̬i.baɪˈɑː.t̬ɪk/C2 a medicine or chemical that can destroy harmful bacteria in the body or limit their growth:
I'm taking antibiotics for a throat infection.
a one-month course of antibiotics
Some types of antibiotic are used to promote growth in farm animals.
He's on antibiotics for an ear infection.
More examples
- My doctor's put me on a course of antibiotics and I have to stay off work for a week.
- Bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics.
- The drugs company are trying to develop a new type of antibiotic.
- In those days doctors gave out antibiotics to patients all the time, so they became less effective.
- The first antibiotic to be discovered was penicillin.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Medicines & drugs
- antacid
- antidepressant
- antiviral
- atropine
- barley water
- bromide
- calamine
- ciclosporin
- Epsom salts
- Gripe Water
- NSAID
- oestradiol
- oxycodone
- petroleum jelly
- prednisone
- propofol
- Prozac
- sleeping pill
- thalidomide
- Valium
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