ivermectin

noun

iver·​mec·​tin ˌī-vər-ˈmek-tən 

: a drug mixture of two structurally similar semisynthetic lactones that is used in veterinary medicine as an anthelmintic, acaricide, and insecticide and in human medicine to treat onchocerciasis

Examples of ivermectin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The new chair is Kirk Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist who is a member of the Independent Medical Alliance, a group that has promoted the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 despite clinical trials showing that the drug isn’t effective against the virus. —Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2025

The fluoride bill failed, but the ivermectin bill passed. —Rosemary Westwood, NPR, 25 Nov. 2025

The keynote speech was by William Makis, a litigious COVID conspiracist who, after losing his medical license in 2019, has made a living treating cancer patients with antiparasitic drugs including ivermectin, which was also championed in some circles as a COVID treatment during the pandemic. —Arthur Allen, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025

Although some initial research showed that ivermectin could stop cell cultures in a petri dish from getting infected with the coronavirus, the drug is not effective at treating the virus in humans, according to medicinal chemist Derek Lowe. —Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from di- + New Latin avermitilis (specific epithet of Streptomyces avermitilis, bacterium from which it is derived) + English -ect- (of unknown origin) + -in entry 1

First Known Use

1981, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ivermectin

• fibronectin
• amylopectin
• lectin
• pecten
• pectin
• selectin

Medical Definition

ivermectin

noun

iver·​mec·​tin ˌī-vər-ˈmek-tən 

: a drug mixture of two structurally similar semisynthetic macrocyclic lactones that is a derivative of avermectin used in veterinary medicine as an anthelmintic, acaricide, and insecticide and in human medicine to treat onchocerciasis