an antibiotic effective against most Gram-positive organisms. It is given by intravenous infusions for serious infections that are resistant to other antibiotics
vancomycin in American English
(ˌvæŋkəˈmaisɪn, ˌvæn-)
noun
Pharmacology
a bactericidal antibiotic, C66H75ClN9O24, produced by Streptomyces orientalis, used in the treatment of antibiotic-associated colitis and endocarditis
Word origin
[1956; vanco-, of unexplained orig. + -mycin]-mycin is a combining form used in the names of antibiotics, usually fungal derivatives.Other words that use the affix -mycin include: erythromycin, lincomycin, neomycin, tobramycin, valinomycin