colicin

noun

co·​li·​cin ˈkō-lə-sən How to pronounce colicin (audio)
variants or less commonly colicine
ˈkō-lə-ˌsēn How to pronounce colicin (audio)
: any of various antibacterial substances produced by strains of intestinal bacteria (as of E. coli)

Word History

Etymology

French colicine, from col- + -cine (as in streptomycine streptomycin)

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of colicin was in 1946

Dictionary Entries Near colicin

colichemarde

colicin

colicker

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Colicin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colicin. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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Medical Definition

colicin

noun
co·​li·​cin ˈkō-lə-sən How to pronounce colicin (audio)
variants also colicine
-ˌsēn How to pronounce colicin (audio)
: any of various antibacterial proteins that are produced by some strains of intestinal bacteria (as E. coli) having a specific plasmid and that often act to inhibit macromolecular synthesis in related strains
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