Paclitaxel
/ˌpak.lɪˈtak.sɛl/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A taxane antineoplastic drug C₄₇H₅₁NO₁₄ originally isolated from the bark of the Pacific yew, Taxus brevifolia, but now typically derived as a semisynthetic product of the English yew; it interferes with microtubule function and inhibits cell division, and is used in the treatment of some cancers, especially those of the breast and ovary. uncountable
Etymology
From Pac(ific yew) + Latin (brevifo)li(a) + -taxel (“alteration of taxol”).