Griseofulvin
/ˌɡrɪzi.oʊˈfʊlvɪn/noun
An antifungal antibiotic used to treat certain fungal infections of the skin, hair, and nails.
Did you know?Griseofulvin was named from the fungus *Penicillium griseofulvum*, whose species name combines Latin *griseus* “gray” with *fulvus* “tawny/yellowish,” showing how scientific names can preserve a color-code of the natural world.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
griseus
“gray”
Latin
Latin
fulvus
“tawny, yellowish, reddish-yellow”
20th Century
English
griseofulvin
“a compound isolated from a grayish fungus and used as an antifungal drug”
Modern English
English
griseofulvin
“an antifungal medicine used against ringworm and related infections”