antitubercular
|an-ti-tu-ber-cu-lar|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.ti.təˈbɝːr.kjə.lɚ/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.ti.təˈbɜː.kjʊ.lə/
against tuberculosis
Etymology
'antitubercular' is formed from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') + 'tubercular' (relating to 'tubercle'/'tuberculosis'), with the suffix '-al' forming an adjective.
'tubercle' comes from Latin 'tuberculum' (a diminutive of 'tuber' meaning 'swelling'); 'tubercular' developed from 'tubercle' + adjectival suffixes in post-medieval English, and 'antitubercular' arose later by adding the prefix 'anti-' to denote action against tubercles/tuberculosis.
Originally linked to 'tubercle' (a small swelling), the element 'tubercular' came to relate specifically to tuberculosis; 'antitubercular' therefore came to mean 'acting against tuberculosis'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a drug or agent that is used to treat or prevent tuberculosis (plural: antituberculars).
Antituberculars such as isoniazid and rifampicin are essential in TB therapy.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
effective against tuberculosis; used to describe drugs, treatments, or agents that combat Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
The new antitubercular regimen showed promising results in clinical trials.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/11 22:46