antimicrobic
|an-ti-mi-cro-bic|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.ti.maɪˈkroʊ.bɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.ti.maɪˈkrəʊ.bɪk/
against microbes
Etymology
'antimicrobic' is formed from the prefix 'anti-' (meaning 'against') + 'microbic', which relates to 'microbe' (from French 'microbe').
'microbe' comes from French 'microbe' (19th century), built from Greek 'mikros' ('small') + 'bios' ('life'); 'microbic' developed as an adjective from 'microbe', and the prefix 'anti-' was added in English to form 'antimicrobic'.
Initially the elements meant 'against' + 'small life', and the combined term has come to mean specifically 'against microorganisms' in modern scientific and medical usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
(rare) A substance that is antimicrobic; an agent that kills or inhibits microbes.
Several antimicrobics were tested for activity against resistant strains.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
acting against or inhibiting the growth of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses).
The hospital applied an antimicrobic coating to high-touch surfaces to reduce infection risk.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/04 02:28