methenamine
Upper-Intermediate (B2)
IPA: /ˌmɛθəˈnæmiːn/
KK: /mɛθəˌnæmɪn/
noun
Definition
A chemical compound used as a medicine to prevent urinary tract infections and in the production of rubber.
Example
The doctor prescribed methenamine to help treat her urinary tract infection.
Conversation
Have you ever heard of methenamine?
Yeah, I think it's used for treating urinary infections, right?
Exactly! I read that it's also used in rubber production.
That's interesting! I didn't know it had multiple uses.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
hexamine
urotropine
methenamine
Antonyms
antiseptic
contaminant
infectant
Root Explanation
Methenamine is formed from "methen" (a variant of "methene", meaning a type of hydrocarbon) and "amine" (from Latin "aminum", meaning nitrogen-containing compound). The word refers to a compound that contains both a methylene group and an amine group, indicating its chemical structure.
Memory Tip
Think of 'methen' as relating to a specific type of hydrocarbon and 'amine' as a nitrogen compound, which together describe a chemical compound that includes both elements.
Visually Confused Words
No commonly confused words.