penicillin

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   An antibiotic medicine made from mould, used to treat infections caused by bacteria.

   The doctor prescribed penicillin to clear up the chest infection.

Simplified etymology

Penicillin, recorded from the mid-20th century, was named for the brush-like shapes of the spore containers. Its name derives from Latin penicillum, “paintbrush,” which in turn comes from Latin penis, “tail,” referring to the tuft of hair at the end of some tails.

Etymology tree Latin pēnis Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -ulus Latin -culus Latin pēniculus ▲ Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -lus Latin -illum Latin pēnicillum Translingual -ium Translingual Penicillium Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Italic *-īnos Latin -īnusder. Old French -inbor. Middle English -in English -ineclip. English -in English penicillin From translingual Penicillium + -in. Coined by Alexander Fleming after Penicillium notatum (now Penicillium chrysogenum), a fungus from which penicillin is obtained.

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