colicin

noun

co·li·cin ˈkō-lə-sən

variants or less commonly colicine

ˈkō-lə-ˌsēn

: any of various antibacterial substances produced by strains of intestinal bacteria (as of E. coli)

Word History

Etymology

French colicine, from col- + -cine (as in streptomycine streptomycin)

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of colicin was in 1946

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colichemarde

colicin

colicker

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Style

“Colicin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colicin. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

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Medical Definition

colicin

noun

co·li·cin ˈkō-lə-sən

variants also colicine

-ˌsēn

: any of various antibacterial proteins that are produced by some strains of intestinal bacteria (as E. coli) having a specific plasmid and that often act to inhibit macromolecular synthesis in related strains

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colicin

noun

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