phenobarbital

American  

[fee-noh-bahr-bi-tawl, -tal, -nuh-] / ˌfi noʊˈbɑr bɪˌtɔl, -ˌtæl, -nə- /

especially British, phenobarbitone

noun

Pharmacology.

1. a white, crystalline powder, C 1 2 H 1 2 N 2 O 3 , used as a sedative, a hypnotic, and as an antispasmodic in epilepsy.

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phenobarbital British  

/ ˌfiːnəʊˈbɑːbɪtəl /

noun

1. a white crystalline derivative of barbituric acid used as a sedative for treating insomnia and as an anticonvulsant in epilepsy. Formula: C 12 H 12 N 2 O 3

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phenobarbital Scientific  

/ fē′nō-bär′bĭ-tôl′,-tăl′ /

1. A crystalline barbiturate used as a sedative and an anticonvulsant. Chemical formula: C ₁₂ H ₁₂ N ₂ O ₃ .

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Etymology

Origin of phenobarbital

First recorded in 1915–20; pheno- + barbital

Example Sentences

Suppose a doctor prescribes phenobarbital to control a patient’s seizures and states a dosage of “100” without specifying units.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

In 2013, Arkansas replaced its three-drug protocol with a one-drug protocol, using phenobarbital; the next month, the British company Hikma put controls on phenobarbital.

From The New Yorker • May 21, 2016

To their patients, the pair call the problem misbehaviour of the bowel and treat it with the sedative phenobarbital and the muscle relaxant propantheline bromide.

From Nature • May 17, 2016

Anonymity may be the new phenobarbital, and while digital snark – trolling, trashing, mocking and ridiculing, judging and hating – may make you feel temporarily superior, it hardens your heart and corrodes your soul.

From Time • May 18, 2015

The latest research, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and the University of Pavia in Italy, also looked in detail at other drugs such as carbamazepine, lamotrigine and phenobarbital.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2011