antibacterial drug
- noun
- /ˌæntiˈbɪktɛriəl drʌg/
- Specialized
:
fármaco antibacteriano
- The death rate is generally low but can reach 4% without the use of antibacterial drugs (1, 4).
- the use of antibacterial drugs
Examples
-
High concentration of antibacterial drugs in erythrocytes is indispensable for infection elimination.
Academic text (2017) -
We confirmed that 77 (58.3%) patients had received antibacterial drugs during the week before admission.
Academic text (2014) -
On the basis of this map, antimalarial drugs and antibacterial drugs were distributed to the population.
Academic text (2014) -
Antibacterial drugs may be used in pregnancy for the treatment of maternal infection.
Academic text (2011) -
MDR bacterial isolates were checked for sensitivity against four different combinations of antibacterial drugs.
Academic text (2013) -
Conjugate vaccines, for example, have been shown to reduce the antibacterial drug resistance of S. pneumoniae strains (38).
Academic text (2014) -
Fungal infection may not have been considered in the initial diagnoses in this outbreak; 93% of case-patients received one antibacterial drug before coccidioidomycosis was diagnosed (16).
Academic text (2014) -
Antimicrobial resistance to S. pneumoniae is increasing in many countries in Europe (17), and the prudent use of antibacterial drugs, apart from immunization, is pivotal in preventing and controlling IPD.
Academic text (2015) -
Doctors often prescribe antibacterial drugs to treat serious bacterial infections.
-
Many hospitals use antibacterial drugs to prevent the spread of infection among patients.
Synonyms
237
2.9
A medicine that kills or stops bacteria to cure infections
1
3.8
A medicine or substance that kills bacteria and stops their growth
1
7.2
A substance that kills germs like bacteria and viruses to prevent infection
A medicine that kills or stops the growth of bacteria to treat infections
A chemical that kills bacteria or stops them growing
A chemical that kills bacteria on surfaces and in liquids
A substance that slows or stops bacteria from growing without killing them
How Broad
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'antibacterial' (destroying or preventing bacterial growth) with 'drug' (medicine): it denotes a medicine that acts against bacteria. This adjective + noun composition is a regular, compositional pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Antibacterial drug comes from putting anti- meaning 'against' before bacterial meaning 'about bacteria' and drug meaning 'medicine'. The image is a medicine that stands against bacteria, so it means 'a drug that destroys or stops the growth of bacteria'.