methicillin

noun

meth·​i·​cil·​lin ˌme-thə-ˈsi-lən 

: a semisynthetic penicillin C₁₇H₁₉N₂O₆NaS used especially in the form of its sodium salt against beta-lactamase-producing staphylococci

Examples of methicillin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For this combination – the antibiotic methicillin and the bacteria S. aureus – the number of attributable deaths nearly doubled from 57,200 in 1990 to 130,000 in 2021. —Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 16 Sep. 2024

About 40% of those S. aureus infections were the difficult-to-treat kind: methicillin-resistant S. aureus, also known as MRSA. —Isabella Cueto, STAT, 6 Feb. 2023

Microban 24 is a sanitizing spray that, according to the brand’s website, provides 24-hour protection against Staphylococcus aureus—a microbial villain that comes in several varieties, including the methicillin-resistant type known as MRSA, any of which can cause a serious staph infection. —Heather Mayer Irvine, Popular Mechanics, 20 Sep. 2021

Roughly 40% of the infections were resistant to treatment with the antibiotic methicillin, the report found. —Fox News, 7 Feb. 2023

Some of the most dangerous superbugs include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Clostridioides difficile, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of gonorrhea. —Bill Sullivan, Discover Magazine, 3 Nov. 2021

Young and otherwise healthy people can get a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, infection on their skin. —BostonGlobe.com, 14 July 2022

Word History

Etymology

meth- + penicillin

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

methicillin

noun

meth·​i·​cil·​lin ˌmeth-ə-ˈsil-ən 

: a form of penicillin used especially against certain forms of staphylococcus bacteria

Medical Definition

methicillin

noun

meth·​i·​cil·​lin ˌmeth-ə-ˈsil-ən 

: a semisynthetic penicillin C₁₇H₁₉N₂O₆NaS that is especially effective against beta-lactamase producing staphylococci