beta-lactam antibiotic
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beta-lactam antibiotic
n.
Any of a class of broad-spectrum antibiotics, such as the penicillins and the cephalosporins, that contain a beta-lactam ring.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
beta-lactam antibiotic
Any of the antimicrobial drugs, such as penicillins or cephalosporins, that kill germs by interfering with the synthesis of bacterial cell walls.
Synonym: beta-lactamSee also: antibiotic
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