tetracycline

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres Proto-Hellenic *kʷétwores Ancient Greek τέσσᾰρες (téssăres) Ancient Greek τετρᾰ- (tetră-)bor. English tetra- Proto-Indo-European *kʷel- Proto-Indo-European *kʷékʷlos Ancient Greek κύκλος (kúklos) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós) Ancient Greek κυκλῐκός (kuklĭkós)bor. Classical Latin cyclicuslbor. Middle French cyclique French cycliquebor. ▲ Classical Latin cyclicusbor. English cyclic English tetracyclic Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Italic *-īnos Latin -īnusder. Old French -inbor. Middle English -in English -ine English tetracycline From tetracyclic + -ine.

1. A yellow crystalline broad-spectrum antibiotic C₂₂H₂₄N₂O₈ produced by streptomyces or synthetically.
2. Any of a large group of antibiotics with the same general structure derived from tetracene with many hydroxyl and other groups.