antiprotozoal
|an-ti-pro-to-zo-al|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.ti.proʊtəˈzoʊ.əl/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.ti.prəˈtəʊ.əl/
against protozoa
Etymology
'antiprotozoal' originates from Modern English, formed by the prefix 'anti-' meaning 'against' and 'protozoal' derived from 'protozoa' (protozoan).
'protozoa' comes from New Latin 'Protozoa', from Greek 'prôtos' meaning 'first' + 'zôon' meaning 'animal'; the adjective 'protozoal' developed from 'protozoa', and 'antiprotozoal' was formed in English by adding the prefix 'anti-'.
Initially the components referred literally to 'against first animals (protozoa)'; over time the compound came to be used specifically for drugs or agents that act against protozoan parasites.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a drug or agent that is antiprotozoal; an agent used to treat protozoal infections.
Quinacrine was once used as an antiprotozoal for certain protozoal infections.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
effective against protozoa; used to describe drugs or agents that kill or inhibit protozoan organisms.
Metronidazole is an antiprotozoal agent commonly used to treat amoebiasis and giardiasis.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/01 03:09