Standard Lemma guide

zidovudine

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: /zɪˈdɒv.jʊ.diːn/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /zɪˈdəʊ.vjʊ.diːn/
  • General-American: /zɪˈdoʊ.vjəˌdin/
  • General-American: /zaɪˈdoʊ.vjəˌdin/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A nucleoside analog reverse-transcriptase inhibitor C10H13N5O4, a type of antiretroviral drug that inhibits replication of some retroviruses (such as HIV) and was first approved for the treatment of AIDS.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, 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 antiviral drug (trade name Retrovir) used in the treatment of AIDS; adverse side effects include liver damage and suppression of the bone marrow

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Retrovir, ZDV, AZT

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, NRTI

History

Etymology

Alteration of azidothymidine.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Hungarian: zidovudin — Translations
  • Latin: zidovudinum — Translations
  • Polish: zydowudyna — Translations
  • Portuguese: zidovudina — Translations
  • Spanish: zidovudina — Translations