(ăn″tĭ-bī-ŏt′ĭk)
[Pronunciation]

1. Destructive to life.
2. Pert. to antibiosis.
3. A natural or synthetic substance that destroys microorganisms or inhibits their growth.
Antibiotics are used extensively to treat infectious diseases in plants, animals, and humans.
See: antimicrobial drug; bacterium

Subentries:
bactericidal antibiotic
bacteriostatic antibiotic
beta-lactam antibiotic
broad-spectrum antibiotic
narrow-spectrum antibiotic