Definition

1. Noun:
   • An antibiotic obtained from the actinomycete Streptomyces erythreus: A type of medicine used to treat infections, produced by a specific bacterium.
   • Effective against many Gram-positive bacteria and some Gram-negative bacteria: It works by stopping the growth of a wide range of bacteria, particularly those classified as Gram-positive (like Staphylococcus and Streptococcus) and some Gram-negative types.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The doctor prescribed erythromycin for the skin infection.
  • Erythromycin is often used for patients allergic to penicillin.

Advanced Usage

• Macrolide antibiotic: Erythromycin belongs to a class of antibiotics known as macrolides, which work by inhibiting bacterial protein synthesis.
  • As a macrolide antibiotic, erythromycin binds to the bacterial ribosome.

Variants and Related Words

• Trade names: Erythromycin is sold under various brand names, which are not the word itself but specific product variants.
  • Erythrocin®, E-Mycin®, Ethril®, Ilosone®, Pediamycin®

Synonyms

• Antibiotic: A general term for a substance that kills or inhibits bacteria.
• Macrolide: Refers to the specific class of antibiotics to which erythromycin belongs.

Noun

1. an antibiotic (trade name Erythrocin or E-Mycin or Ethril or Ilosone or Pediamycin) obtained from the actinomycete Streptomyces erythreus; effective against many Gram-positive bacteria and some Gram-negative