Definition

A man-made medicine used to treat certain infections caused by bacteria and parasites, particularly in the vagina and intestines.

Example

The doctor prescribed metronidazole to treat her bacterial infection.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of metronidazole?

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

Exactly! It's often used to treat some infections.

I remember my doctor mentioning it for bacterial issues.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Metronidazole is formed from "metron" (from Greek μέτρον, meaning measure) and "nidazole" (derived from the chemical structure of the compound, where "nida" refers to a type of chemical compound and "-azole" is a suffix used in organic chemistry to denote a class of compounds). The word refers to a medication that is measured and used to treat infections caused by anaerobic bacteria and certain parasites.

Memory Tip

Think of 'measure' ('metron') to remember that 'metronidazole' is a medication that is carefully measured for treating specific infections.

Visually Confused Words