Definition

1. Noun:

   • A chemical substance, typically produced by or derived from a microorganism (such as a mold or bacterium), that has the capacity to inhibit the growth of or destroy other microorganisms, especially bacteria, and is used to treat bacterial infections.

2. Adjective:

   • Of, relating to, or having the properties of an antibiotic substance; effective against microorganisms.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The doctor prescribed a course of antibiotic to treat the patient's strep throat.
  • Penicillin was the first widely used antibiotic.
  • Overuse of antibiotics can lead to bacterial resistance.

• Adjective:

  • The new drug has strong antibiotic properties.
  • They are studying the antibiotic effects of various soil bacteria.

Advanced Usage

• "Broad-spectrum antibiotic": An antibiotic effective against a wide range of bacteria.

  • The patient was given a broad-spectrum antibiotic while waiting for the lab results to identify the specific bacteria.

• "Prophylactic antibiotic": An antibiotic given to prevent infection, not to treat an existing one.

  • Prophylactic antibiotics are sometimes administered before certain surgeries.

Variants and Related Words

• Antibacterial (adj/n): Often used similarly to 'antibiotic', but can specifically refer to agents that target bacteria. It is also a common term in consumer products (e.g., antibacterial soap).
• Antimicrobial (adj/n): A broader term encompassing agents that act against microbes, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

Synonyms

• Antimicrobial (n/adj): A substance that kills or inhibits the growth of microorganisms.
• Germicide (n): An agent that destroys germs, especially pathogenic microorganisms. (More general, not specific to internal medicinal use like 'antibiotic').

Related Phrases and Compounds

• Antibiotic resistance: The ability of bacteria to withstand the effects of an antibiotic.
  • Antibiotic resistance is a major global health concern.
• Antibiotic stewardship: Programs and policies to promote the appropriate use of antibiotics.
  • Hospitals implement antibiotic stewardship to optimize patient outcomes and reduce resistance.

Related Idioms

• "A silver bullet" / "A wonder drug": While not idioms containing the word 'antibiotic', these phrases were historically used to describe the initial impact of antibiotics like penicillin.
  • When first discovered, penicillin was hailed as a wonder drug.

Adjective

1. of or relating to antibiotic drugs

Noun

1. a chemical substance derivable from a mold or bacterium that can kill microorganisms and cure bacterial infections
   • when antibiotics were first discovered they were called wonder drugs