Showing results for vancomycin. Search instead for vancomycins.

vancomycin

American

[vang-kuh-mahy-sin, van-] / ˌvæŋ kəˈmaɪ sɪn, ˌvæn- /

noun

Pharmacology.

a bactericidal antibiotic, C 66 H 75 ClN 9 O 24 , produced by Streptomyces orientalis, used in the treatment of antibiotic-associated colitis and endocarditis.

vancomycin British

/ ˌvænkəʊˈmaɪsɪn /

noun

an antibiotic effective against most Gram-positive organisms. It is given by intravenous infusions for serious infections that are resistant to other antibiotics

"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 vancomycin

First recorded in 1956; vanco- (of unexplained origin) + -mycin

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.

A reduced dose of vancomycin failed to prevent relapse, and a higher dose of EVG7 also produced weaker results.

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2026

Encouragingly, the research team found no evidence of bacterial resistance to pre-methylenomycin C lactone in Enterococcus under conditions that typically lead to resistance against vancomycin.

From Science Daily • Oct. 29, 2025

"In fact, the prevailing view has been that antibiotic resistance to these strains are unlikely to impact clinical outcomes, given the high concentrations of vancomycin in stools."

From Science Daily • Apr. 25, 2024

This result is particularly intriguing because vancomycin is not used to treat Salmonella since it can't cross the outer membrane.

From Science Daily • Jan. 13, 2024

The system was still able to detect vancomycin.

From Science Daily • Oct. 3, 2023

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