prophylaxis

[ proh-fuh-lak-sis, prof-uh- ]
See synonyms for prophylaxis on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Medicine/Medical.

    • the preventing of disease.

    • the prevention of a specific disease, as by studying the biological behavior, transmission, etc., of its causative agent and applying a series of measures against it.

  2. prophylactic treatment, as the cleaning of the teeth by a dentist or dental hygienist.

Origin of prophylaxis

1
1835–45; <New Latin <Greek pro-pro-2 + phýlaxis a watching, guarding, equivalent to phylak- (base of phylássein to guard) + -sis-sis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for prophylaxis

prophylaxis

/ (ˌprɒfɪˈlæksɪs) /


noun
  1. the prevention of disease or control of its possible spread

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012