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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Lactam

Lactam \Lac"tam\, n. [Lactone + amido.] (Chem.) One of a series of anhydrides of an amido type, analogous to the lactones, as oxindol; a cyclic amide. beta-lactam or [beta]-lactam,

  1. a lactam in which the amide bond is contained within a four-membered ring, which includes the amide nitrogen and the carbonyl carbon.

  2. an antibiotic containing a beta-lactam, such as a penicillin, cephalosporin, or carbapenem; also called a beta-lactam antibiotic. [informal, laboratory slang]

Wiktionary
lactam

n. (context organic chemistry English) Any of a class of cyclic amides, that are the nitrogen analogs of lactones, formed by heating amino acids; the tautomeric enol forms are known as lactims.

Wikipedia
Lactam

A lactam is a cyclic amide. The term is a portmanteau of the words lactone + amide.