acyclovir

[ ey-sahy-kloh-veer, -kluh- ]
/ eɪˈsaɪ kloʊˌvɪər, -klə- /

noun Pharmacology.

a crystalline compound, C18H11N5O3, used as an antiviral drug in the treatment of herpes infections.

Origin of acyclovir

1980–85; perhaps acyclo(guanosine) an earlier name for the compound ( a-6 + cyclo- + guanosine a nucleotide) + vir(us) or vir(al)

Medical definitions for acyclovir

acyclovir
[ ā-sīklō-vîr, -klə- ]

n.

A synthetic purine nucleoside analog that is derived from guanine and is used in the treatment of herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and varicella zoster viral infections. acycloguanosine