methicillin

American

[meth-uh-sil-in] / ˌmɛθ əˈsɪl ɪn /

noun

Pharmacology.

a semisynthetic penicillin antibiotic, C 1 7 H 1 9 N 2 NaO 6 S, used principally in the treatment of severe, penicillin-resistant staphylococci infections.

methicillin British

/ ˌmɛθɪˈsɪlɪn /

noun

a semisynthetic penicillin used to treat various infections

"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 methicillin

First recorded in 1960–65; meth(yl) + (pen)icillin

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.

Daskalakis recalls a U.S. outbreak of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the 2000s that started in the MSM community but later spread in gyms, among athletes, and in prisons.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 20, 2022

This strain is resistant to many commonly used antibiotics, including methicillin, amoxicillin, penicillin, and oxacillin.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Bacteria resistant to methicillin emerged in hedgehogs long before the drug was prescribed to treat infections.

From Scientific American • Jun. 8, 2022

Some of these bacteria are resistant to methicillin and other antibiotics, making them especially dangerous to vulnerable immune systems.

From Slate • Jan. 11, 2019

Probably 1,000 people died of methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus in our hospitals since Ebola first showed up in the U.S.

From Forbes • Oct. 25, 2014

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