Definition of "tetracycline" [tetracycline]

• A yellow crystalline compound, C22H24N2O8, synthesized or derived from certain microorganisms of the genus Streptomyces and used as a broad-spectrum antibiotic. (noun)
• An antibiotic, such as chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline, having the same basic structure. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Antibiotics such as tetracycline and streptomycin clear up a case in a few days."
• "Teeth naturally get duller as we age and certain medications taken as a child, such as tetracycline, can give teeth a grayish hue."
• "· Use an antibiotic such as tetracycline, ampicillin, or penicillin."