Antipathogene

/ˌæn.tɪ.pəˈθɑ.dʒiːn/ noun

Definition

A variant or alternative term for a substance that combats pathogens; sometimes used in older medical literature to mean a disease-fighting agent.

Etymology

From anti- + pathogene (French-influenced form of pathogen, using -gene instead of -gen). An older or sometimes alternative spelling that reflects the competing medical terminology of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Kelly Says

Medical terminology can be surprisingly messy: antipathogen, antipathogene, antipathogens—all mean roughly the same thing. Doctors settled on antipathogenic and antibiotic, making these older forms curiosities in historical medical texts.

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