Standard Lemma guide

tobramycin

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌtɒb.ɹəˈmaɪ.sɪn/
  • General-American: /ˌtoʊ.bɹəˈmaɪ.sn̩/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A colorless water-soluble aminoglycoside antibiotic C18H37N5O9, isolated from a soil bacterium Streptoalloteichus tenebrarius and used especially against Gram-negative bacteria. When used in combination with loteprednol to treat inflammatory conditions of the eye, tobramycin is marketed under the trademark Zylet.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: medicine, pharmacology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

an antibiotic (trade name Nebcin) that is especially effective against Gram-negative bacteria

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Nebcin

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: antibiotic, antibiotic drug

History

Etymology

From [Term?] + translingual (Streptoalloteichus tene)bra(rius) + -mycin (“antibiotic”).

Across languages

Translations

2 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: tobramysiini — Translations
  • Spanish: tobramicina — Translations