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.

See Examples For:

metronidazole

A second group received the antibiotics metronidazole and amoxicillin.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

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

People on metronidazole must avoid consuming alcohol until at least three days after they stop the medication.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 4, 2021

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