chloramphenicol

American  

[klawr-am-fen-i-kawl, -kol, klohr-] / ˌklɔr æmˈfɛn ɪˌkɔl, -ˌkɒl, ˌkloʊr- /

noun

Pharmacology.

1. a colorless, crystalline, slightly water-soluble antibiotic, C 11 H 12 Cl 2 N 2 O 5 , obtained from cultures of Streptomyces venezuelae or synthesized: used chiefly in the treatment of infections caused by certain bacteria, by rickettsiae, and by certain viruses.

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chloramphenicol British  

/ ˌklɔːræmˈfɛnɪˌkɒl /

noun

1. a broad-spectrum antibiotic used esp in treating typhoid fever and rickettsial infections: obtained from the bacterium Streptomyces venezuelae or synthesized. Formula: C 11 H 12 N 2 O 5 Cl 2

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chloramphenicol Scientific  

/ klôr′ăm-fĕn′ĭ-kôl′,-kōl′ /

1. An antibiotic derived from the soil bacterium Streptomyces venezuelae or produced synthetically, and effective against a broad spectrum of microorganisms. Chemical formula: C ₁₁ H ₁₂ Cl ₂ N ₂ O ₅ .

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Etymology

Origin of chloramphenicol

First recorded in 1945–50; chlor- ² + am(ido)- + phe(no)- + ni(tr)- + (gly)col

Example Sentences

In controlled experiments, the plant was exposed to both typical environmental concentrations and levels 100 times higher for enrofloxacin and chloramphenicol.

From Science Daily • Mar. 21, 2026

Treating the mice with the antibiotics metronidazole or chloramphenicol, administered vaginally, reduced the development of endometriosis, and shrank the number and size of the lesions.

From Scientific American • Jun. 19, 2023

For example, tetracycline blocks the A site on the bacterial ribosome, and chloramphenicol blocks peptidyl transfer.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

For example, 1972 saw a typhoid fever outbreak in Mexico that was stubbornly resistant to chloramphenicol, and when doctors switched to streptomycin, sulfonamide, and tetracycline, none of them worked, either.

From Slate • Jan. 5, 2021

Ltd. that contained the banned chemical, chloramphenicol, were destroyed, the General Administration of Customs of China announced.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 27, 2020