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antimetabolite

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

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.

Nearby words

  1. antimatter,
  2. antimension,
  3. antimensium,
  4. antimere,
  5. antimetabole,
  6. antimicrobial,
  7. antimilitant,
  8. antimissile,
  9. antimissile missile,
  10. antimitotic
Also an·ti·met·a·bol·ic [an-tee-met-uh-bol-ik, an-tahy-] /ˌæn tiˌmɛt əˈbɒl ɪk, ˌæn taɪ-/.

Origin of antimetabolite

First recorded in 1940–45; anti- + metabolite
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for antimetabolite

antimetabolite

/ (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

Medicine definitions for antimetabolite

antimetabolite

[ ăn′tē-mĭ-tăb′ə-līt′, ăn′tī- ]

n.

A substance that closely resembles an essential metabolite and competes with, interferes with, or replaces the metabolite in physiological reactions.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.