prophylactic

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pro·phy·lac·tic

(prō′fə-lăk′tĭk, prŏf′ə-)

adj.

Acting to defend against or prevent something, especially disease; protective.

1. A prophylactic agent, device, or measure, such as a vaccine or drug.

2. A contraceptive device, especially a condom.

[French prophylactique, from Greek prophulaktikos, from prophulassein, to take precautions against : pro-, before; see pro-² + phulassein, to protect (from phulax, guard).]

pro′phy·lac′ti·cal·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

prophylactic

(ˌprɒfɪˈlæktɪk)

adj

1. (Medicine) protecting from or preventing disease

2. protective or preventive

(Medicine) a prophylactic drug or device, esp a condom

[C16: via French from Greek prophulaktikos, from prophulassein to guard by taking advance measures, from pro-² + phulax a guard]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

pro•phy•lac•tic

(ˌproʊ fəˈlæk tɪk, ˌprɒf ə-)

adj.

1. preventive or protective, esp. from disease or infection.

2. a prophylactic medicine or measure.

3. a preventive.

4. a device used to prevent conception or venereal infection, esp. a condom.

[1565–75; < Greek prophylaktikós=prophylak-, base of prophylássein to be on guard, take precautions]

pro`phy•lac′ti•cal•ly, adv.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	prophylactic - remedy that prevents or slows the course of an illness or disease; "the doctor recommended several preventatives" preventative, preventive curative, cure, therapeutic, remedy - a medicine or therapy that cures disease or relieve pain
	2.	prophylactic - contraceptive device consisting of a sheath of thin rubber or latex that is worn over the penis during intercourse condom, safe, rubber, safety birth control device, contraceptive, contraceptive device, prophylactic device, preventative, preventive - an agent or device intended to prevent conception
Adj.	1.	prophylactic - capable of preventing conception or impregnation; "contraceptive devices and medications" antifertility, contraceptive protective - intended or adapted to afford protection of some kind; "a protective covering"; "the use of protective masks and equipment"; "protective coatings"; "kept the drunken sailor in protective custody"; "animals with protective coloring"; "protective tariffs"
	2.	prophylactic - warding off; "the swastika...a very ancient prophylactic symbol occurring among all peoples"- Victor Schultze cautionary protective - intended or adapted to afford protection of some kind; "a protective covering"; "the use of protective masks and equipment"; "protective coatings"; "kept the drunken sailor in protective custody"; "animals with protective coloring"; "protective tariffs"
	3.	prophylactic - preventing or contributing to the prevention of disease; "preventive medicine"; "vaccines are prophylactic"; "a prophylactic drug" preventive, preventative healthful - conducive to good health of body or mind; "a healthful climate"; "a healthful environment"; "healthful nutrition"; "healthful sleep"; "Dickens's relatively healthful exuberance"

prophylactic

adjective

1. preventative, protective, preventive, precautionary vaccination and other prophylactic measures

noun

1. preventative measure, safeguard, precaution, safety measure, preventative medicine The region began to use quinine as a prophylactic.

2. condom, johnny (informal), rubber (U.S.), sheath, Durex (Brit. trademark), Femidom (Brit. trademark), something for the weekend (informal) the use of prophylactics for protection against sexually-transmitted disease

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

prophylactic

adjective

Defending against disease:

preventative, preventive, protective.

Translations

prophylaktisch

capote préservatif prophylactique

profilattico

prophylactic

[ˌprɒfɪˈlæktɪk]

A. ADJ → profiláctico

B. N (= contraceptive) → profiláctico m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

prophylactic

[ˌprɒfɪˈlæktɪk]

adj (= preventive) → prophylactique

(= drug, device) → traitement m prophylactique

(= condom) → préservatif m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

prophylactic

adj → prophylaktisch, vorbeugend

n → Prophylaktikum nt; (= contraceptive) → Präservativ nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

prophylactic

[ˌprɒfɪˈlæktɪk]

1. adj (Med) → profilattico/a

2. n → profilattico

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

pro·phy·lac·tic

n. profiláctico.

1. agente o método para evitar infecciones;

2. contraceptivo.

prophylactic

adj profiláctico; n (ant) condón m, preservativo

References in classic literature ?

It appeared, by what I could piece together of the unprofane fragments of his statement, that he had chanced upon Sir Ossaise at dawn of the morning, and been told that if he would make a short cut across the fields and swamps and broken hills and glades, he could head off a company of travelers who would be rare customers for prophylactics and tooth-wash.

And he was so fine to look at, with his broad mailed shoulders, and the grand leonine set of his plumed head, and his big shield with its quaint device of a gauntleted hand clutch- ing a prophylactic tooth-brush, with motto: "Try Noyoudont." This was a tooth-wash that I was introducing.

View in context

But my uncle led me to his drugstore, where the stage was to call for me, and made me taste a little camphor; with this prophylactic, Cervantes and I somehow got home together alive.

View in context

'These preventive measures include strategies such as distribution of prophylactics, such as condoms,' she added.

Hontiveros: HIV/AIDS bill does promote condom use

- PharmaPoint: Pediatric Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Prophylactics - Current and Future Players

PharmaPoint: Pediatric Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Prophylactics - New Report

London, August 8 ( ANI ): At the Olympics, where Durex has been assigned with the responsibility of supplying condoms to athletes for greater protection, organisers failed to prevent pranksters from bringing their own 'Australian' prophylactics.

Condom wars break out in Olympics

ADVATE is the sole antihemophilic factor approved in the US for prophylactics of hemophilia A patients of all ages.

Baxter's ADVATE gets FDA approval for prophylaxis of Hemophilia A in adults, children

"Prophylactics prevent infection by blocking one system against infectious contact with another system," said Oliver Thompson, media relations officer at ereviewguide.com.

eReviewGuide.com Releases Network Security Prophylactics

Unwritten Rules, Unnecessary Prophylactics, and Campbell

In search of prophylactic rules

On January 22, President Bush picked ex-Oklahoma congressman Tom Coburn, who opposes the promotion of prophylactics as the main prevention method against HIV, to be cochair of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.

Crusaders against condoms. (HIV)

Since animal membrane prophylactics ("skin condoms") are considered ineffective for this purpose (ref.