kanamycin

K5A1N1A1M3Y4C3I1N1
/ˌkæn.əˈmaɪ.sɪn/

noun

A broad-spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic from a Japanese soil streptomyces (Streptomyces kanamyceticus), used to treat severe bacterial infections and tuberculosis.

Similar
Kantrex
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Meanings

nounkanamycin (countable and uncountable, plural kanamycins)

plural kanamycins

  1. countableuncountablemedicineA broad-spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic from a Japanese soil streptomyces (Streptomyces kanamyceticus), used to treat severe bacterial infections and tuberculosis.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounantibiotic (trade name Kantrex) used to treat severe infections

Similar
Kantrex
Broader
antibioticantibiotic drug

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From (Streptomyces) kana(myceticus) + -mycin (“antibiotic produced from a Streptomyces strain”). The term kanamyceticus may comes from From Japanese 金 (kana-, “metal, money”) + Ancient Greek μύκης (múkēs) + Latin -icus.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan kanamicina
  • kanamicinaTranslations
Hungarian kanamicin
  • kanamicinTranslations
Spanish kanamicina
  • kanamicinaTranslations
Ukrainian канаміци́н
  • канаміци́н (kanamicýn)Translations
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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