Meanings
nounchloramphenicol (countable and uncountable, plural chloramphenicols)
plural chloramphenicols
- countableuncountablemedicineA broad-spectrum antibiotic C₁₁H₁₂Cl₂N₂O₅ isolated from cultures of a soil actinomycete (Streptomyces venezuelae) or prepared synthetically and used against serious infections such as typhoid fever.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan oral antibiotic (trade name Chloromycetin) used to treat serious infections (especially typhoid fever)
Similar
Broader
antibioticantibiotic drug
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰelh₃-
- Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰl̥h₃rós
- Proto-Hellenic*kʰlōrós
- Ancient Greekχλωρός (khlōrós)
- Englishchloro-
- Englishchlor-
- Egyptianjmn
- Ancient GreekᾸ̓́μμων (Ắmmōn)
- LatinAmmōn
- Latinammoniacus
- Englishammonia
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
- Englisham(ide)
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂nyéti
- Proto-Hellenic*pʰáňňō
- Ancient Greekφαίνω (phaínō)
- Frenchphéno-
- Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
- Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
- Frenchphényle
- Englishphenyl
- Englishpheno-
- Englishphen-
- Egyptiannṯr
- Egyptiannṯrj
- Ancient Greekνῐ́τρον (nĭ́tron)
- Englishni(tro)-
- Proto-Hellenic*dlukús
- Ancient Greekγλῠκῠ́ς (glŭkŭ́s)
- Akkadian𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕 (guḫlum)
- Aramaicכוחלא (kuḥlā)
- Arabicكُحْل (kuḥl)
- Andalusian Arabicكُحُول (kuḥūl)
- Medieval Latinalcoho
- Middle Englishalcofol
- Englishalcohol
- English(gly)col
- Englishchloramphenicol
From chlor- + am(ide) + phen- + ni(tro)- + (gly)col.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French chloramphénicol
- chloramphénicolantibiotic
Portuguese cloranfenicol
- cloranfenicolantibiotic
Spanish cloranfenicol
- cloranfenicolantibiotic
Cite this entry
APA
chloramphenicol. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chloramphenicol
MLA
“chloramphenicol.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chloramphenicol. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chloramphenicol,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chloramphenicol.
Source: chloramphenicol on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.