Definition

A type of antibiotic that is used to treat various bacterial infections and is taken by mouth.

Example

The doctor prescribed ciprofloxacin to help treat the patient's infection.

Conversation

Have you heard of ciprofloxacin?

Yeah, I think it's an antibiotic, right?

Exactly! It's often used to treat infections.

That makes sense; I've seen it prescribed a lot.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Ciprofloxacin is derived from "cipro-" (from the Greek "kyprios", meaning Cyprus, referring to the chemical structure) and "-floxacin" (from the Latin "floxacina", a derivative of "fluoroquinolone", which is a class of antibiotics). The word refers to a specific antibiotic that is part of the fluoroquinolone family, used to treat bacterial infections.

Memory Tip

Think of 'cipro-' relating to its chemical structure and '-floxacin' indicating its classification as an antibiotic. This helps you remember that ciprofloxacin is a specific type of antibiotic used to fight infections.

Visually Confused Words