prophylactic

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pro·phy·lac·tic / ˌprōfəˈlaktik/ • adj. intended to prevent disease: prophylactic measures. • n. a medicine or course of action used to prevent disease: I took malaria prophylactics. ∎  a condom. DERIVATIVES: pro·phy·lac·ti·cal·ly / -ik(ə)lē/ adv. ORIGIN: late 16th cent.: from French prophylactique, from Greek prophulaktikos, from pro ‘before’ + phulassein ‘to guard.’

prophylactic preventive of disease. XVI. — F. prophylactique — Gr. prophulaktikós, f. prophulássein keep guard before; see PRO-2, PHYLACTERY, -IC.

prophylactic (pro-fil-ak-tik) n. an agent that prevents the development of a condition or disease.

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