beta-lactam
noun
be·ta-lac·tam
variants
or β-lactam
: any of a large class of natural and semisynthetic antibiotics (as the penicillins and cephalosporins) with a lactam ring
Cite this Entry
“Beta-lactam.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/beta-lactam. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
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