Minocycline

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A broad-spectrum antibiotic from the tetracycline family used to treat acne and a range of bacterial infections
2. An antibacterial drug belonging to the tetracycline class, prescribed for infections and inflammatory skin conditions
3. A semisynthetic tetracycline medication that stops bacteria from growing and is commonly given for infections and acne

Etymology: Minocycline is a chemical name built like a relay of older words. Its oldest piece reaches back to Egypt: the god Amun, whom the Greeks called Ammon, gave Latin "ammoniacus," used for a salt associated with the temple of Ammon, and that Latin adjective became English "ammonia." The chemical sense of "amine," a compound containing nitrogen, adds a fragment built on ammonia, and English "amino-" comes from that family of nitrogen-containing compounds. The rest of the name comes from the tetracycline family. "Cycline" marks a member of that group of antibiotics, and "minocycline" joins "amino-" with "-cycline" to name a tetracycline derivative. The name therefore records a chain of chemistry rather than a single moment of invention, with an Egyptian god at the far end of the line.