thalidomide

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From (ph)thal(ic acid) + (im)ido + (i)mide

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /θəˈlɪdəˌmaɪd/

Noun

thalidomide (countable and uncountable, plural thalidomides)

  1. (pharmacology) A drug sold during the late 1950s and early 1960s as a sleeping aid, and to pregnant women as an antiemetic to combat morning sickness and other symptoms, but withdrawn as causing severe birth defects, such as phocomelia; currently used to treat leprosy.
    • 1988, E[dward] J[ames] Moran Campbell, Not Always on the Level, [London]: British Medical Journal, →ISBN, page 194:
      I have tried all the medium and short acting non-barbiturate sedatives since the war (including thalidomide) but they don’t work and I don’t trust the newfangled long acting, “safe” analgesics.
    • 2001, “Left Behind”, performed by Slipknot:
      I can't stand to see your thalidomide robot face

Synonyms

Hypernyms

Derived terms

Translations

French

Pronunciation

  • (file)

Noun

thalidomide f (uncountable)

  1. (pharmacology) thalidomide

Further reading

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