penicillin
UK[ˌpenɪˈsɪlɪn]US[ˌpenəˈsɪlɪn]
n
A substance used as a drug to treat or prevent infections caused by bacteria, originally obtained from a type of mould.
Morpheme Breakdown
penicill
in
penicill
brush
in
chemical/antibiotic suffix
Etymology
The word 'penicillin' originates from the scientific Latin name of the mould from which it was first isolated, Penicillium notatum. The genus name Penicillium derives from the Latin penicillum, meaning 'a little brush' or 'paintbrush', a diminutive of peniculus ('brush'), itself from penis ('tail'). This nomenclature was chosen because the spore-producing structures of the mould resemble tiny brushes. The suffix '-in', commonly used in biochemistry to denote substances, was appended to form the name of the antibiotic, thus creating a term that literally means 'a brush-like substance'.
Analysis
Structure: penicill (brush) + in (chemical/antibiotic suffix)
penicill (from Latin penicillum, meaning 'paintbrush', referring to the brush-like shape of the spore-bearing structures); in (a suffix used in chemistry to form names of substances, especially antibiotics and proteins).
Examples
Penicillin was the first widely used antibiotic.
Some people have a severe allergic reaction to penicillin.
The discovery of penicillin revolutionized modern medicine.