penicillin

/pɛnɪˈsɪlɪn/

Definitions

1. noun

a group of antibiotics produced by fungi of the genus Penicillium, used in medicine to treat bacterial infections

“The doctor prescribed penicillin to help the patient recover from pneumonia.”

2. noun

a specific antibiotic, such as amoxicillin or penicillin V

“She was prescribed penicillin for her strep throat infection.”

Synonyms

  • antibacterial
  • antibiotic

Antonyms

  • antifungal
  • antiviral