acyclovir

English

Alternative forms

• aciclovir

Etymology

Clipping of acycloguanosine +‎ -vir. From being an antiviral (-vir) containing less cyclic structure ("a-"cyclic) than the naturally occurring analogue from which it is based, guanosine. This is analyzable as a- +‎ cyclo- +‎ -vir.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /eɪˈsʌɪkləvɪə/, /eɪˈsɪkləvɪə/
• enPR: ā sī' klō vēr, IPA^(key): /eɪ ˈsaɪ kloʊ viɹ/

Noun

acyclovir (usually uncountable, plural acyclovirs)

1. (pharmacology) An antiviral drug used in the treatment of genital herpes. [from 20th c.]
   • 1997, Roy Porter, The Greatest Benefit to Mankind, Folio Society 2016, p. 443:

     In cells infected with the herpes virus, acyclovir is converted to a metabolic blocking agent, thereby largely overcoming the old and plaguing problem of toxicity to the host.

Synonyms

• acycloguanosine
• Avirax
• Zovirax

Translations

drug

• Finnish: asikloviiri
• Galician: aciclovir m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: ακυκλοβίρη f (akyklovíri)
• Polish: acyklowir (pl) m