From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishprophylacticpro‧phy‧lac‧tic1 /ˌprɒfəˈlæktɪk◂ $ ˌprɑː-/ adjective technical MHintended to prevent disease prophylactic antibiotics
Examples from the Corpus
prophylactic• The prophylactic anthelmintic regimens practised for Ostertagia or Haemonchus are usually sufficient to control this parasite.• Treatment consists of sedation with haloperidol or other medication, prophylactic antibiotics, and rest.• Such was the perceived risk of a patient developing cancer that prophylactic colectomy has been recommended.• And prophylactic drug use soared, particularly in the black community.• Monamine oxidase inhibitors are used occasionally in migraine patients who are refractory to other prophylactic drugs.• One must be realistic about the goal of prophylactic therapy.prophylacticprophylactic2 noun [countable] 1 MI technical something used to prevent disease2 American EnglishXX formal a condom – often used humorouslyExamples from the Corpus
prophylactic• Down at the tideline an island boy and his younger brother played with a handful of their own certified prophylactics.• He hissed those words under his breath, your friend, his fingers digging mindlessly into the clear plastic packets of prophylactics.Origin prophylactic1 (1500-1600) Greek prophylaktikos, from prophylassein “to guard before”, from phylax “guard” 