bacteriostatically
|bac-te-ri-o-sta-tic-al-ly|
🇺🇸
/ˌbæk.tə.ri.oʊˈstæt.ɪkli/
🇬🇧
/ˌbæk.tə.ri.əʊˈstæt.ɪkli/
(bacteriostatic)
inhibits bacterial growth
Etymology
'bacteriostatic' (base of 'bacteriostatically') originates from Greek elements: 'bacterion' meaning 'small staff' (a rod, used for 'bacterium') and Greek 'statikos' meaning 'causing to stand' or 'stopping'
'bacterion' + 'statikos' combined in New Latin/late 19th-century scientific coinage to form 'bacteriostatic', which then took the adverbial suffix '-ally' to form 'bacteriostatically' in English
Initially formed to mean 'stopping or inhibiting bacteria (growth)', and it has retained that technical sense in modern usage
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adverb 1
in a manner that inhibits the growth or reproduction of bacteria without necessarily killing them
The new preservative works bacteriostatically, preventing bacterial multiplication rather than destroying existing cells.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/29 08:12