mercaptopurine

[ mer-kap-toh-pyoor-een ]

noun

, Pharmacology.

1. a yellow, crystalline, water-insoluble powder, C 5 H 4 N 4 S, used in the treatment of leukemia.

mercaptopurine

/ məˌkæptəʊˈpjʊəriːn /

noun

1. a drug used in the treatment of leukaemia. Formula: C 5 H 4 N 4 S

Word History and Origins

Origin of mercaptopurine¹

First recorded in 1950–55; mercapto + purine