1. A group of antibiotic compounds produced by actinomycete bacteria, used in medicine and research to inhibit bacterial growth and treat certain cancers.
Usage: plural form; technical/medical; often used in scientific and pharmaceutical contexts

Examples

• Actinomycins are produced naturally by soil bacteria and have been used as antibiotics since their discovery.
• The research team studied how actinomycins interact with DNA to understand their cancer-fighting properties.
• Actinomycin D is one of the most well-known actinomycins used in chemotherapy.
• Scientists isolated several new actinomycins from deep-sea microorganisms.
• The pharmaceutical company developed a new class of actinomycins with fewer side effects.