gentamicin

noun

gen·​ta·​mi·​cin ˌjen-tə-ˈmī-sᵊn How to pronounce gentamicin (audio)
: a broad-spectrum antibiotic mixture derived from an actinomycete (Micromonospora purpurea or M. echinospora) and extensively used as the sulfate in treating infections (as of the urinary tract)

Examples of gentamicin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Additionally, some aminoglycoside antibiotics like gentamicin and tobramycin can cause your body to lose magnesium through urine. Alex Yampolsky, Verywell Health, 28 Oct. 2024 This includes some older antibiotics, like streptomycin or gentamicin, or newer ones, such as ciprofloxacin. Mark Kortepeter, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Common antibiotics like gentamicin and fluoroquinolones are first-line treatment for plague, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024 Injections: Getting injections of the antibiotic gentamicin into the middle ear can reduce the incidence of vertigo while preserving hearing in the ear. USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024 The strain is resistant to various antibiotic weapons, including: cefepime, ceftazidime, piperacillin-tazobactam, aztreonam, carbapenems, ceftazidime-avibactam, ceftolozane-tazobactam, fluoroquinolones, polymyxins, amikacin, gentamicin, and tobramycin, the CDC reported. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 2 Feb. 2023 Both can be treated with gentamicin, one of a larger group of antibiotics called aminoglycosides. Valerie Ross, Discover Magazine, 13 May 2011 The researchers combined gentamicin with different kinds of sugars, including mannitol, fructose and glucose. Valerie Ross, Discover Magazine, 13 May 2011 But a Henry Ford Health System study found that cleaning catheters with an antibiotic combination of gentamicin and citrate, instead of heparin, lowered mortality rates a whopping 68 percent. Lacy Schley, Discover Magazine, 22 Jan. 2015

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier gentamycin, from gentian violet + kanamycin; from the color of the actinomycete

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gentamicin was in 1963

Dictionary Entries Near gentamicin

Cite this Entry

“Gentamicin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gentamicin. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.

Medical Definition

gentamicin

noun
gen·​ta·​mi·​cin ˌjent-ə-ˈmīs-ᵊn How to pronounce gentamicin (audio)
: a broad-spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic mixture that is derived from two actinomycetes of the genus Micromonospora (M. purpurea and M. echinospora) and is extensively used in the form of the sulfate in treating infections especially of the urinary tract

More from Merriam-Webster on gentamicin

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!