rifampicin

English

Chemical structure of rifampicin

Alternative forms

• rifampin (US)

Etymology

Blend of rifam(y)cin +‎ pi(perazinyl).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈfæm.pɪs.ɪn/

Noun

rifampicin (countable and uncountable, plural rifampicins)

1. (pharmacology) A reddish-brown semisynthetic antibiotic C₄₃H₅₈N₄O₁₂ obtained from the bacterium Amycolaptosis mediterranei, used chiefly to treat tuberculosis, leprosy, and asymptomatic carriers of meningococci.

References

• “rifampicin”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “rifampin”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.