colicin

C3O1L1I1C3I1N1

noun

Any of a class of proteins, secreted by certain strains of bacteria, that kill but do not lyse other strains

OriginFrench colicine →
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Meanings

nouncolicin (plural colicins)

plural colicins

  1. biochemistryAny of a class of proteins, secreted by certain strains of bacteria, that kill but do not lyse other strains

Origin

  1. Frenchcolicine
  2. Englishcolicin

From French colicine, from coli- + -cine, with ending formed by analogy from antibiotics like auréomycine, streptomycine, with second element from myc- + -ine.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

colicin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/colicin

MLA

“colicin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/colicin. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “colicin,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/colicin.

Source: colicin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.