The original type of penicillin antibiotic with a benzyl group attached, one of the first antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections.
From 'benzyl' + 'penicillin'. Named in 1941 when chemists discovered this modified form was more stable and effective than natural penicillin.
Benzylpenicillin literally saved millions of lives—it was the first penicillin mass-produced and used in World War II, transforming infected wounds from deadly to treatable.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.