blue devil
Noun: 1. A coarse, prickly European weed with spikes of blue flowers; naturalized in the United States. This is a common name for the plant Echium vulgare, also known as viper's bugloss. 2. The sodium salt of amobarbital, used as a barbiturate sedative and hypnotic. This is a pharmaceutical drug.
- Noun (Plant):
- The field was dotted with the bright blue flowers of the blue devil.
- Be careful when walking through that pasture; the blue devil has very prickly leaves.
- Noun (Drug):
- The medication, known commercially as a blue devil, was once prescribed for insomnia. (Note: This usage is highly technical/archaic.)
- Historically, "blue devil" could be used as a slang term for a barbiturate capsule or pill, particularly in mid-20th century contexts, due to the drug's sedative properties and sometimes its appearance.
- Viper's Bugloss: The more common botanical name for the plant .
- Amobarbital: The generic pharmaceutical name for the barbiturate drug.
- Blue devils (plural, idiomatic): An archaic or literary term for feelings of severe depression or melancholy. (e.g., ) This is a distinct, idiomatic usage.
- For the plant: Viper's bugloss, .
- For the drug: Amobarbital sodium, barbiturate, sedative, hypnotic.
This is a word with two distinct and unrelated meanings: 1. A specific type of flowering plant. 2. A specific pharmaceutical substance. The context makes clear which meaning is intended. The plant meaning is more common in general and botanical contexts. The drug meaning is technical, historical, or found in specific professional literature. The plural form "blue devils" has a separate, idiomatic meaning related to mood.
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the sodium salt of amobarbital that is used as a barbiturate; used as a sedative and a hypnotic
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a coarse prickly European weed with spikes of blue flowers; naturalized in United States
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