penicillinase

P3E1N1I1C3I1L1L1I1N1A1S1E1

noun

A specific type of beta-lactamase showing specificity for penicillins.

Similar
beta-lactamase
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Meanings

nounpenicillinase (countable and uncountable, plural penicillinases)

plural penicillinases

  1. countableuncountablebiochemistryA specific type of beta-lactamase showing specificity for penicillins.

    To date, there have been only 23 confirmed cases of penicillinase-producing gonococcus (totally penicillin-resistant gonorrhea) reported in the United States.

    1976 December 18, Carol S. Ribner, Sanford M. Reder, “Boston's Gay Health Collective Replies to GCN”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 25, page 5

Synonyms & antonyms

nounenzyme produced by certain bacteria that inactivates penicillin and results in resistance to that antibiotic

Similar
beta-lactamase
Broader
enzyme
Also see
beta-lactamase

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From penicillin + -ase.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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