probiotic

noun pro·bi·ot·ic \ prō-bī-ˈä-tik , -bē-ˈä- \

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

Definition of probiotic

: a microorganism (such as lactobacillus) that when consumed (as in a food or a dietary supplement) maintains or restores beneficial bacteria to the digestive tract; also : a product or preparation that contains such microorganisms — compare prebiotic

—

probiotic

adjective

Recent Examples of probiotic from the Web

For athletes who are not into kombucha or fermented foods, this is a nice way to fit in gut-healthy probiotics.

— sara angle, Outside Online, "The Best New Packaged Foods for Athletes," 30 Mar. 2018
Raw probiotics were reported taken from Whole Foods, 215 S. Route 83 on March 26 by a suspect who was seen on video.

— graydon megan, chicagotribune.com, "Elmhurst police blotter: Counterfeit bill used to buy auto parts," 29 Mar. 2018
What made this study different is, rather than using off-the-shelf probiotics that can’t gain a foothold in the gut, researchers tested over 280 probiotic strains to find the right one.

— lisa marshall, Discover Magazine, "When Probiotics Really Do Work," 1 Feb. 2018
But what if investigators could design probiotics to treat specific individuals?

— ferris jabr, Scientific American, "Do Probiotics Really Work?," 1 July 2017
Next year her attention will turn to how these probiotics can be applied to coral in the wild—perhaps as a gel.

— The Economist, "Mass die-offs are driving efforts to create hardier corals," 15 Mar. 2018
Many of these products contain added oils, sugars, probiotics or amino acids.

— katherine dillinger, CNN, "Protein powder pros and cons: What to know, what to watch out for," 9 Mar. 2018
The supplier that uses the central Oregon spring water touts its natural probiotics to promote a healthy digestive system, but doesn't yet offer it here.

— lynne terry, OregonLive.com, "California 'raw' water fans pay $9 a gallon for Oregon tap water," 19 Jan. 2018
In other words, their gut ecosystems had a vacancy that the probiotic filled.

— ferris jabr, Scientific American, "Do Probiotics Really Work?," 1 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'probiotic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of probiotic

²pro- + -biotic (as in antibiotic)

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1974

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

probiotic

noun pro·bi·ot·ic \ prō-bī-ˈät-ik, -bē- \

medical Definition of probiotic

: a microorganism (such as lactobacillus or bifidobacterium) that when consumed (as in a food or a dietary supplement) maintains or restores beneficial bacteria to the digestive tract; also : a product or preparation that contains such microorganisms — compare prebiotic

—

probiotic

adjective

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