antimetabolite

American

[an-tee-muh-tab-uh-lahyt, an-tahy-] / ˌæn ti məˈtæb əˌlaɪt, ˌæn taɪ- /

Also antimetabolic

noun

Biochemistry. any substance that interferes with growth of an organism by competing with or substituting for an essential nutrient in an enzymatic process.

adjective

Pharmacology. of or relating to certain substances used to prevent or reduce the proliferation of cells, especially cancer cells, by interfering with normal metabolic activity.

antimetabolite British

/ ˌæntɪmɪˈtæbəˌlaɪt /

noun

any drug that acts by disrupting the normal growth of a cell. Sulfonamide drugs are antimetabolites and some antimetabolites are used in cancer treatment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of antimetabolite

First recorded in 1940–45; anti- + metabolite

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In some types of leukemia it had been shown that malignant cells can be fooled into accepting a phony metabolite, or "antimetabolite."

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023