Definition

A type of medicine that fights infections caused by bacteria. It is effective against many different kinds of germs and can be made from natural sources or created in a lab.

Example

The doctor prescribed chloramphenicol to treat the patient's severe infection.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of chloramphenicol?

Yeah, I think it's an antibiotic used for serious infections.

Exactly! It's effective against things like typhoid fever.

That's interesting! I didn't know it had such a broad spectrum.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Chloramphenicol is formed from "chloro-" (from Greek "chloros", meaning green) and "amphenicol" (a derivative of "phenicol", which comes from "phenol", a compound derived from coal tar). The word refers to a green pigment associated with the antibiotic properties of the compound, originally derived from the bacterium Streptomyces venezuelae.

Memory Tip

Think of 'green' ('chloro-') to remember that chloramphenicol is an antibiotic derived from a green pigment.

Visually Confused Words