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prophylaxis

[ proh-fuh-lak-sis, prof-uh- ]
/ ˌproʊ fəˈlæk sɪs, ˌprɒf ə- /
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noun
Medicine/Medical.
  1. the preventing of disease.
  2. the prevention of a specific disease, as by studying the biological behavior, transmission, etc., of its causative agent and applying a series of measures against it.
prophylactic treatment, as the cleaning of the teeth by a dentist or dental hygienist.
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Origin of prophylaxis

1835–45; <New Latin <Greek pro-pro-2 + phýlaxis a watching, guarding, equivalent to phylak- (base of phylássein to guard) + -sis-sis
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use prophylaxis in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for prophylaxis

prophylaxis
/ (ˌprɒfɪˈlæksɪs) /

noun
the prevention of disease or control of its possible spread
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
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