penicillin V
- noun
- /ˌpɛnɪˈsɪlɪn vi/
- Specialized
:
penicilina V
- The pharmacist explained that penicillin V is less likely to be broken down by stomach acids than penicillin G.
Examples
-
The authors associated this increase with a general shift in treatment patterns from the widespread use of penicillin V to the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics.
Academic text (2005) -
Doctors often prescribe penicillin V for patients with specific bacterial infections.
-
After the diagnosis, she was relieved to learn that penicillin V would effectively treat her illness.
Synonyms
A medicine that you take by mouth to kill bacteria that cause infections like sore throats
A medicine with potassium used to treat infections caused by bacteria
Surface Forms
Morphology
penicillin + V
The headword contains the familiar lexical item 'penicillin', so a B1 learner who knows that word can infer this refers to a particular type or variant of that antibiotic. However, the letter 'V' functions as an arbitrary classifier (Roman numeral/label) and does not convey the specific pharmacological differences (resistance to gastric acid, relation to penicillin G), so the exact meaning and implications are not fully derivable without medical knowledge.
Etymology
Penicillin V gets its name from the mold Penicillium, a tiny brush-like fungus that gave us the first penicillin and creates a clear image to remember the drug family. This version, penicillin V, was made to be 'taken by mouth' and not destroyed by stomach acid, so today the name means the oral penicillin used 'to treat infections'.
