luminal
Definition
- Noun:
- A long-acting barbiturate drug used as a sedative and hypnotic: "Luminal" is a proprietary name for the drug phenobarbital, which is a barbiturate compound. It acts on the central nervous system to produce sedation, induce sleep, or control seizures.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The doctor prescribed Luminal to help with her severe insomnia.
- Before modern alternatives, Luminal was commonly used to calm anxious patients.
Advanced Usage
- Historical/Medical Context: The term is often used in historical or specific medical contexts, as its use has declined in favor of safer medications.
- Luminal played a significant role in early 20th-century psychiatry.
Variants and Related Words
- Phenobarbital (n): The generic, non-proprietary name for the same drug.
- Phenobarbital is still used today to treat certain types of epilepsy.
Synonyms
- Sedative: A substance that promotes calm or induces sleep.
- Barbiturate: The class of drugs to which Luminal belongs.
- Hypnotic: A drug that induces sleep.
Notes on Usage
- Capitalization: "Luminal" is often capitalized as it originated as a brand name.
- Context: Its use is primarily technical, historical, or medical. It is not a common word in everyday conversation.
Noun
-
a long-acting barbiturate used as a sedative
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