Definition

A type of medicine that fights bacteria, mainly used to treat leprosy and certain skin conditions.

Example

The doctor prescribed dapsone to help treat the patient's leprosy.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of dapsone?

Yeah, isn't it used to treat leprosy?

Exactly! It's also used for some skin conditions.

That's interesting; I didn't know it had multiple uses.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Dapsone is derived from the chemical name 'diaminodiphenylsulfone', where 'di-' (meaning two) refers to the two amino groups, 'amino' (meaning relating to ammonia or amines), 'diphenyl' (meaning two phenyl groups), and 'sulfone' (referring to the sulfonyl functional group). The word describes a compound that contains two amino groups attached to a diphenylsulfone structure.

Memory Tip

Think of 'two' ('di-') amino groups in a compound that has a 'sulfone' structure — that's how dapsone is formed.

Visually Confused Words