Barbiturate
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
- 1 Any salt or ester of barbituric acid.
- 2 organic compound having powerful soporific effect; overdose can be fatal wordnet
- 3 Any of derivatives of barbituric acid that act as depressants of the central nervous system and are used as sedatives or hypnotics.
"Following the “Summer of Love” in 1967, amphetamines and barbiturates began to replace psychedelics as the dominant drugs used in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, and increasing numbers of individuals were treated at the Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic for complications following barbiturate use."
Example
More examples"Following the “Summer of Love” in 1967, amphetamines and barbiturates began to replace psychedelics as the dominant drugs used in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, and increasing numbers of individuals were treated at the Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic for complications following barbiturate use."
Etymology
See barbituric.
Related phrases
More for "barbiturate"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.