ANTIBACTERIAL

antibacterial

(adjective) destroying bacteria or inhibiting their growth

antibacterial, antibacterial drug, bactericide

(noun) any drug that destroys bacteria or inhibits their growth

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Adjective

antibacterial (not comparable)

(pharmaceutical effect) Killing or inhibiting bacteria.

(archaic) Opposing the theory that diseases are caused by bacteria.

Noun

antibacterial (plural antibacterials)

(pharmaceutical drug) A drug having the effect of killing or inhibiting bacteria.

Source: Wiktionary

An`ti*bac*te"ri*al, a. (Med.) (a) Inimical to bacteria; -- applied esp. to serum for protection against bacterial diseases. (b) Opposed to the bacterial theory of disease.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition