antimetabolite
|an-ti-me-tab-o-lite|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.tiː.məˈtæb.ə.laɪt/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tɪ.məˈtæb.ə.laɪt/
compound that blocks metabolism
Etymology
'antimetabolite' originates from Modern English, specifically the combination of the prefix 'anti-' and the noun 'metabolite', where 'anti-' meant 'against' and 'metabolite' derived from Greek 'metabolē' meaning 'change'.
'metabolite' developed from the 19th-century scientific term 'metabolism' (from Greek 'metabolē'), leading to the coinage of 'metabolite' for products of metabolism; in the 20th century the compound form 'antimetabolite' arose in medical and pharmacological usage.
Initially the parts signified 'against a metabolite' in a literal sense; over time the term came to denote specifically those compounds that mimic metabolites and block metabolic reactions, especially in therapeutic contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a compound that resembles a natural metabolite and interferes with normal metabolic processes, often by inhibiting enzymes or blocking DNA/RNA synthesis; commonly used as a class of chemotherapy or antimicrobial agents.
Methotrexate is an antimetabolite commonly used in chemotherapy and autoimmune disease treatment.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/03 22:58