antibiotic meaning

Adjective: antibiotic  `antibI'ótik

1. Of or relating to antibiotic drugs

Noun: antibiotic  `antibI'ótik

1. A chemical substance derivable from a mould or bacterium that can kill microorganisms and cure bacterial infections
   "when antibiotics were first discovered they were called wonder drugs"
   - antibiotic drug

Derived forms: antibiotics

Type of: antibacterial, antibacterial drug, bactericide

Encyclopedia: Antibiotic

[Medicine]
n : a substance produced by or a semisynthetic substance derived from a microorganism and able in dilute solution to inhibit or kill another microorganism
adj
1 : tending to prevent, inhibit, or destroy life
2 : of or relating to antibiotics or to antibiosis — an·ti·bi·ot·i·cal·ly adv

Examples

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1. earthworms may produce antibiotic substances.
2. antibiotics are immunosuppressive.
3. antibiotics produce a selective change in flora.
4. antibiotics favor the growth of resistant mutants.
5. prophylactic antibiotics are definitely contraindicated.