n.
Pronunciation: ˌ n ō -v ə - ' b ī - ə -s ə n
Function: noun
Etymology: novo- (perh. modification of Latin niveus snowy, specific epithet of the bacterium Streptomyces niveus ) + bi- + -my cin
Date: 1956
: a weak dibasic acid C 31 H 36 N 2 O 11 that is highly toxic to humans and is sometimes used as an antimicrobial drug in some serious cases of staphylococcic and urinary tract infection