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

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

Clinical trials showed that ivermectin didn’t work, but covid skeptics viewed medicine’s rejection of it as part of a conspiracy by Big Pharma against a cheap, off-patent drug. —Arthur Allen, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025

America was in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, and some doctors were prescribing hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin to treat sick patients, though the FDA had not approved the medications for that purpose. —Elizabeth Chiarello, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2025

Besides his support of ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19, Ladapo personally altered a Florida Department of Health Covid vaccine study to exaggerate the risks of cardiac death and discourage mRNA vaccine uptake. —Judy Stone, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 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