prophylactic
1
7.9
- noun
- /ˌprɒfɪˈlæktɪk/
- Specialized
:
medicamento profiláctico
- At the current time, there are three primary uses of antibiotics in animal agriculture: therapeutic, prophylactic (to prevent potential infection), and growth promotion (with both of the latter two categories being at subtherapeutic concentrations).
They are only doing this as a prophylactic such that they stave off regulation which is now imminent.
- They are only doing this as a prophylactic such that they stave off regulation which is now imminent.
Examples
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The one exception is ondansetron—between a quarter and an eighth of the recommended prophylactic dose has been shown to effectively treat established PONV.
Academic text (2003) -
Doctors recommend receiving a prophylactic vaccine to prevent diseases like influenza.
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We've done pretty well over the last century or so to generate prophylactic vaccines, that is vaccines that prevent infectious diseases.
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Because it is difficult to administer otic drops to some children, it would be ideal if we had an oral prophylactic agent that covered a broad antimicrobial spectrum (including P. aeruginosa) and that was approved for children.
Academic text (2001) -
The reduction of cervical cancer risk by 70% or more becomes a theoretical possibility depending on the number of carcinogenic HPV types eventually included in a future HPV prophylactic vaccine and on the percent of the population vaccinated.
Blog text (32) -
The veterinarian prescribed a prophylactic treatment for the puppy to guard against infections.
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This prophylactic medicine is aimed at reducing the risk of developing serious illness during flu season.
Synonyms
4
8.2
Actions people take to stop disease before it starts
1
3.9
Something used to stop a health problem before it happens
1
4.3
A medicine to stop disease or slow its progress
A substance used to treat, prevent, or reduce symptoms of illness
Antonyms
Compounds
- NSFW
1
6.4
Something people use to prevent pregnancy, like a condom or diaphragm
How Preventive
Surface Forms
Morphology
prophylactic = prophylactic (opaque) = pro + phylact + ic
The noun use is a regular conversion from the adjective 'prophylactic', so the meaning is straightforward if the adjective is known.
Etymology
Prophylactic comes from Greek words pro- 'before' and phylax 'guard'. A prophylactic medicine is something that 'guards before' you get sick, so it is given to stop an illness before it starts.