Meanings
nounampicillin (countable and uncountable, plural ampicillins)
plural ampicillins
- countableuncountablemedicineA semisynthetic form of penicillin C₁₆H₁₉N₃O₄S that is effective against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and is used to treat infections of the urinary, respiratory, and intestinal tracts.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounsemisynthetic penicillin (trade names Principen and Polycillin and SK-Ampicillin)
Similar
PrincipenPolycillinSK-Ampicillin
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Egyptianjmn
- Ancient GreekᾸ̓́μμων (Ắmmōn)
- LatinAmmōn
- Latinammoniacus
- Englishammonia
- Englishamine
- Englisham(ino)-
- Proto-Indo-European*pes-
- Proto-Indo-European*pes-ni-s
- Proto-Italic*peznis
- Latinpēnis
- Latinpēniculus
- Latinpēnicillum
- Englishp(en)icillin
- Englishampicillin
From am(ino)- + p(en)icillin.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech ampicilin
- ampicilinTranslations
Finnish ampisilliini
- ampisilliiniTranslations
Greek αμπικιλλίνη
- αμπικιλλίνη (ampikillíni)Translations
Polish ampicylina
- ampicylinaTranslations
Portuguese ampicilina
- ampicilinaTranslations
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with ampicillin
amoxicillinpenicillintheophyllinepiperacillinoxacillinticarcillincarbenicillincloxacillindicloxacillinnafcillinbenzylpenicillincarindacillin-cillinmeticillinphenoxymethylpenicillin
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
ampicillin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ampicillin
MLA
“ampicillin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ampicillin. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ampicillin,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ampicillin.
Source: ampicillin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.