penicillin
/ˌpɛn.ɪˈsɪl.ɪn/ noun B2- Any of a group of narrow-spectrum antibiotics obtained from Penicillium molds or synthesized, that have a beta-lactam structure and are active against gram-positive bacteria and used in the treatment of various infections and diseases.
- A blue mold of the genus Penicillium that produces penicillin.
Plural penicillins
From the library
During the Second World War she determined the structure of penicillin at a time when chemists were still arguing about how its atoms were joined, and some refused at first to believe her result.
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