抗こう生せい剤ざい

こ

う

せ

い

ざ

い

Meanings

1

noun

antibiotic (medicine)

pharmacology

Pharmacological term for an antibiotic agent; used in medical and pharmaceutical contexts.

この抗こう生せい剤ざいは細さい菌きん感かん染せんに効こう果かがある。
This antibiotic is effective against bacterial infections.

抗

confront, resist, defy

生life, genuine, birth

剤dose, medicine, drug

Similar words

抗こう生せい物ぶっ質しつ
抗生物質 is the more common general term for 'antibiotic', while 抗生剤 is a technical pharmacological term often used in medical prescriptions and drug classifications.

Etymology

Compound of 抗 (こう, 'anti-') + 生 (せい, 'life' or 'living organism') + 剤 (ざい, 'agent' or 'medicine'), literally 'anti-life agent', referring to a substance that acts against microorganisms.