metronidazole

American

[me-truh-nahy-duh-zohl] / ˌmɛ trəˈnaɪ dəˌzoʊl /

noun

Pharmacology.

a synthetic antimicrobial substance, C 6 H 9 N 3 O 3 , used chiefly in the treatment of infections, such as Trichomonas vaginalis and certain anaerobic bacterial infections.

metronidazole British

/ ˌmɛtrəˈnaɪdəˌzəʊl /

noun

a pale yellow crystalline compound used to treat vaginal trichomoniasis. Formula: C 6 H 9 N 3 O 3

"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 metronidazole

First recorded in 1960–65; contraction of 2-methyl-5-nitroimidazole part of the chemical name

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.

SC65A.3 is the first Psychrobacter strain found to resist certain antibiotics, including trimethoprim, clindamycin, and metronidazole.

From Science Daily • Feb. 21, 2026

I also used prescription topicals, including ivermectin and metronidazole.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 15, 2023

Treating the mice with the antibiotics metronidazole or chloramphenicol, administered vaginally, reduced the development of endometriosis, and shrank the number and size of the lesions.

From Scientific American • Jun. 19, 2023

The scientists gave half the participants a course of broad-spectrum antibiotics, including neomycin, vancomycin and metronidazole.

From Nature • Nov. 26, 2019

But there are a few medications that have no data indicating adverse effects, Dr. Baldwin said, including metronidazole, clindamycin and azelaic acid.

From New York Times • Jul. 30, 2019

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