Pronunciation: ˌ pä-l ē - ' k ē - ˌ t ī d
Function: noun
Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary poly- + ket- + -ide
Date: 1927
: any of a large class of diverse compounds that are characterized by more than two carbonyl groups connected by single intervening carbon atoms, that are produced especially by certain bacteria and fungi, and that include various substances (as erythromycin and lovastatin) having antibiotic, anticancer, cholesterol-lowering, or immunosuppressive effects