antibiotic
/ˌantɪbʌɪˈɒtɪk
/noun
A medicine (such as penicillin or its derivatives) that inhibits the growth of or destroys microorganisms: course of antibiotics [mass noun]: an injection of antibiotic...
- Completing just a five day course of antibiotics or antimalarial drugs is a rare achievement here.
- You may also need to have painkillers, antibiotics, and fluids through a drip.
- You may be given painkillers, antibiotics and mouthwash solutions to take home.
adjective
Relating to antibiotics: a prolonged course of antibiotic therapy...
- The effect of early antibiotic therapy on this form of infection is unknown.
- If patients fulfill the above criteria, antibiotic therapy should be considered.
- In addition, no antibiotic therapy was administered, as this was a lethal model.
Origin
Mid 19th century (in the sense 'doubting the possibility of life in a particular environment'): from anti- + Greek biōtikos 'fit for life' (from bios 'life').
amphibian from mid 17th century:
Amphibians live both in water and on land, and it is the idea of ‘living in both’ that gives us the word, which comes from Greek amphi ‘both’ (also found in amphitheatre (Late Middle English) from amphi ‘on both sides’ and theatron ‘place for beholding’) and bios ‘life’, source of words such as biology (early 19th century) and antibiotic (mid 19th century). Before it was applied specifically to frogs, toads, and newts, amphibian simply meant ‘having two modes of existence, of doubtful nature’.