mefloquine en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈmɛf.lək.wɪn/ (General-American)
- (General-American) audio
- /ˈmɛf.lək.wɪn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈmɛf.lə.kwiːn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *médʰu Proto-Hellenic *métʰu Ancient Greek μέθυ (méthu) Proto-Indo-European *swel-der.? Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)der. German -yl German Methylbor. English me(thyl) Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-der. Proto-Indo-European *bʰlewH-der. Proto-Indo-European *bʰluH-yé-ti? Latin fluō Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *-ōs Proto-Italic *-ōs Latin -or Latin fluor Ancient Greek -ο- (-o-)der. Latin -o-bor. English -o- English fl(uor)o- English -quine English mefloquine From me(thyl) (“quinoline derivative”) + fl(uor)o- + -quine.
Meanings
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(uncountable) An antimalarial drug C₁₇H₁₆F₆N₂O similar to quinine that consists of a fluorinated derivative of quinoline and is used in the form of its hydrochloride for the prevention and treatment of malaria.
The same year the UN banned mefloquine for peacekeeping troops in Cambodia because of concern about the drug's "neuropsychiatric side effects… in military personnel".
2002 October 24, Mark Honigsbaum, “'It's not a benign drug—it has ruined my life'”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:I take thalazole to control the stools, mefloquine for the malaria.
2007, Teju Cole, Every Day is for the Thief, Faber & Faber (2015), page 154:Drug-Interactions: Several anti-malaria drugs, such as mefloquine, chloroquine and proguanil (not approved for use in US) possess antibacterial activity which may interfere with the immunogenicity of Vivotif.
2013 September 14, Vivotif Package Insert USA, Food and Drug Administration, retrieved 05 Dec 2025, page 4: