tetracycline

noun

tet·​ra·​cy·​cline ˌte-trə-ˈsī-ˌklēn How to pronounce tetracycline (audio)
-klən
: a yellow crystalline broad-spectrum antibiotic C22H24N2O8 produced by streptomyces or synthetically
also : any of several chemically related antibiotics (such as doxycycline)

Did you know?

Most chemical names are made up of two or more Greek and Latin roots strung together. Thus, tetracycline, with its cycl- root from the Greek word for "circle", means "four-ringed"—that is, "consisting of four fused hydrocarbon rings". Antibiotics work against bacteria and other tiny organisms (but not viruses); tetracycline, which comes from a kind of soil bacteria, is one of the most used of the antibiotics. "Broad-spectrum" antibiotics work well on numerous organisms; thus, tetracycline has proved effective against acne, chlamydia, cholera, rickets, and various lung and eye infections, among many other conditions.

Examples of tetracycline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Then the barnacles were stained with tetracycline hydrochloride, which fluoresces under UV light, to track where new shell growth occurred. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 24 Aug. 2023 Indeed, common hospital bacteria--including the staphylococci and the enterococci--have learned to laugh at a long list of once-reliable later-generation antibiotics, including methicillin, erythromycin, tetracycline, streptomycin, and the sulfa drugs. Mark Caldwell, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 In response to tetracyclines' susceptibility to efflux pumps, for example, researchers modified tetracycline to make tigecycline, which is not pumped out of the bacteria so easily. Bill Sullivan, Discover Magazine, 3 Nov. 2021 However, the tetracycline and doxycycline families of antibiotics have been found to cause discoloration in babies' teeth after the fourth month of pregnancy because these meds affect the calcification—or the hardening—of their pearly whites. Richard H. Schwarz, Parents, 23 Aug. 2023 The findings suggest antibiotic treatments that combine conventional antibiotics such as tetracycline with drugs that block the multidrug efflux pump would help prevent the spread of resistance, according to Lesterlin. Roni Dengler, Discover Magazine, 28 May 2019 Minocycline is part of a group of antibiotics called tetracyclines. Angela Palmer, Verywell Health, 3 May 2023 The first is a phototoxic reaction, often seen with certain antibiotics such as tetracycline. Lisa Sanders, M.d., New York Times, 6 July 2023 There is no evidence that chlamydia has acquired resistance to tetracyclines and only scant evidence that syphilis has. Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 20 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tetracycline.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary tetracyclic having four fused hydrocarbon rings + -ine entry 2

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tetracycline was in 1952

Dictionary Entries Near tetracycline

Cite this Entry

“Tetracycline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tetracycline. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tetracycline

noun
tet·​ra·​cy·​cline ˌte-trə-ˈsī-ˌklēn How to pronounce tetracycline (audio)
: a yellow crystalline antibiotic produced by a soil bacterium or made synthetically

Medical Definition

tetracycline

noun
tet·​ra·​cy·​cline ˌte-trə-ˈsī-ˌklēn How to pronounce tetracycline (audio) -klən How to pronounce tetracycline (audio)
: a yellow crystalline broad-spectrum antibiotic that is produced by a soil actinomycete of the genus Streptomyces (S. viridifaciens) or made synthetically and that is administered chiefly in the form of its hydrochloride C22H24N2O8·HCl
also : any of several chemically related antibiotics (as doxycycline)

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