Meanings
nounmetronidazole (countable and uncountable, plural metronidazoles)
plural metronidazoles
- countableuncountablemedicineAn antibiotic of the nitroimidazole group, used to treat vaginal trichomoniasis, amebiasis, and infections by anaerobic bacteria.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounantiprotozoal medication (trade name Flagyl) used to treat trichomoniasis and giardiasis
Similar
Flagyl
Broader
antiprotozoalantiprotozoal drug
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*médʰu
- Proto-Hellenic*métʰu
- Ancient Greekμέθυ (méthu)
- Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
- Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
- GermanMethy
- Englishme(thyl)
- Egyptiannṯr
- Egyptiannṯrj
- Ancient Greekνῐ́τρον (nĭ́tron)
- Englishnitro-
- Egyptianjmn
- Ancient GreekᾸ̓́μμων (Ắmmōn)
- LatinAmmōn
- Latinammoniacus
- Englishammonia
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
- Englishamide
- Englishimide
- Proto-Indo-European*né
- Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
- Proto-Hellenic*ə-
- Ancient Greekᾰ̓- (ă-)
- Proto-Indo-European*gʷeyh₃-
- Proto-Indo-European*gʷih₃wós
- Proto-Indo-European*gʷíh₃weti
- Proto-Hellenic*gʷyṓw-ō
- Proto-Hellenic*d͏̌ṓwō
- Ancient Greekζώω (zṓō)
- Ancient Greekζῶ (zô)
- Ancient Greekζωή (zōḗ)
- Frenchazote
- Englishazote
- Englishazo-
- Englishazole
- Englishimidazole
- Englishmetronidazole
From me(thyl) + -tronidazole (“alteration of nitroimidazole”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Czech metronidazol
- metronidazolTranslations
Spanish metronidazol
- metronidazolTranslations
Cite this entry
APA
metronidazole. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metronidazole
MLA
“metronidazole.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metronidazole. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “metronidazole,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/metronidazole.
Source: metronidazole on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.