erythromycin

E1R1Y4T1H4R1O1M3Y4C3I1N1
UK/ɪˌɹɪθ.ɹə(ʊ)ˈmʌɪ.sɪn/US/ɪˌɹɪθ.ɹəˈmaɪ.sn̩/

noun

An antibiotic similar to penicillin, used for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections.

Similar
ErythrocinE-MycinEthrilIlosonePediamycin
Less commonScrabble 25
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Meanings

nounerythromycin (countable and uncountable, plural erythromycins)

plural erythromycins

  1. countableuncountablemedicineAn antibiotic similar to penicillin, used for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections.
  2. countableuncountableA broad-spectrum macrolide antibiotic C₃₇H₆₇NO₁₃ produced by an actinomycete Saccharopolyspora erythraea (formerly Streptomyces erythreus) and similar in its effects to penicillin, administered orally or topically in the treatment of infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounan antibiotic (trade name Erythrocin or E-Mycin or Ethril or Ilosone or Pediamycin) obtained from the actinomycete Streptomyces erythreus; effective against many Gram-positive bacteria and some Gram-negative

Similar
ErythrocinE-MycinEthrilIlosonePediamycin
Broader
antibioticantibiotic drug
Also see
erythrocin

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From (Streptomyces) erythr(eus) + -o- + -mycin (“antibiotic from a Streptomyces strain”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic إِرِيثْرُومِيسِين
  • إِرِيثْرُومِيسِين (ʔirīṯrūmīsīn)Translations
Basque eritromizina
  • eritromizinaTranslations
Bulgarian еритромицин
  • еритромицин (eritromicin)Translations
Catalan eritromicina
  • eritromicinaTranslations
Chinese Cantonese 紅黴素 /红霉素
  • 紅黴素 /红霉素Translations
Chinese Mandarin 红霉素
  • 红霉素 (hóngméisù)Translations
Dutch erytromycine
  • erytromycineTranslations
Estonian erütromütsiin
  • erütromütsiinTranslations
Finnish erytromysiini
  • erytromysiiniTranslations
French érythromycine
  • érythromycineTranslations
German Erythromycin
  • ErythromycinTranslations
Hindi इरिथ्रोमाइसिन
  • इरिथ्रोमाइसिन (irithromāisin)Translations
Hungarian eritromicin
  • eritromicinTranslations
Icelandic erýtrómýcín
  • erýtrómýcínTranslations
Indonesian eritromisin
  • eritromisinTranslations
Italian eritromicina
  • eritromicinaTranslations
Japanese エリスロマイシン
  • エリスロマイシン (erisuromaishin)Translations
Korean 에리트로마이신
  • 에리트로마이신 (eriteuromaisin)Translations
Latvian eritromicīns
  • eritromicīnsTranslations
Lithuanian eritromicinas
  • eritromicinasTranslations
Polish erytromycyna
  • erytromycynaTranslations
Portuguese eritromicina
  • eritromicinaTranslations
Romanian eritromicină
  • eritromicinăTranslations
Russian эритромици́н
  • эритромици́н (eritromicín)Translations
Slovak erytromycín
  • erytromycínTranslations
Spanish eritromicina
  • eritromicinaTranslations
Swedish erytromycin
  • erytromycinTranslations
Thai อิริโทรมัยซิน
  • อิริโทรมัยซิน (ì rí toh mai sin)Translations
Turkish eritromisin
  • eritromisinTranslations
Ukrainian еритроміцин
  • еритроміцин (erytromicyn)Translations
Cite this entry
APA

erythromycin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/erythromycin

MLA

“erythromycin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/erythromycin. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “erythromycin,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/erythromycin.

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