acetaminophen

noun

acet·amin·o·phen | \ ə-ˌsē-tə-ˈmi-nə-fən,

ˌa-sə-tə-\

Definition of acetaminophen

: a crystalline compound C₈H₉NO₂ that is a hydroxy derivative of acetanilide and is used in chemical synthesis and in medicine to relieve pain and fever

Examples of acetaminophen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Doctors aren’t entirely sure why acetaminophen works to alleviate migraines. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Neurologists Share Exactly How They Deal With Their Migraines," 1 Aug. 2018 The group has established workarounds, such as giving tablet forms of the opioids to patients who can swallow, using local anesthetics like nerve blocks and substituting opiates with acetaminophen, ketamine and muscle relaxants. — Pauline Bartolone, CNN, "Opioid shortages leave US hospitals scrambling," 19 Mar. 2018 The group has established workarounds, such as giving tablet forms of the opioids to patients who can swallow, using local anesthetics like nerve blocks and substituting opiates with acetaminophen, ketamine and muscle relaxants. — Pauline Bartolone, CNN, "Opioid shortages leave US hospitals scrambling," 19 Mar. 2018 The group has established workarounds, such as giving tablet forms of the opioids to patients who can swallow, using local anesthetics like nerve blocks and substituting opiates with acetaminophen, ketamine and muscle relaxants. — Pauline Bartolone, latimes.com, "The other opioid crisis: hospitals are running short of powerful painkillers," 16 Mar. 2018 Pain relievers include over-the-counter options like aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen, along with drugs that are specifically made to treat migraines. — Korin Miller, SELF, "How to Tell if Vestibular Migraines Are Why You Get Dizzy So Often," 12 July 2018 Studies have shown that sometimes a combination of ibuprofen and acetaminophen can be just as good as or better than opioids. — Julie Appleby, chicagotribune.com, "Doling out pain pills post-surgery: An ingrown toenail not the same as a bypass," 27 June 2018 For many pains, a combination of non-opioid therapies — acetaminophen and ibuprofen, as well as nonpharmaceutical alternatives like physical therapy, exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy — works quite well, and carries less serious risks. — Travis N. Rieder, Philly.com, "Is it wrong to ask your doctor for opioids?," 23 Feb. 2018 In midtown Manhattan at a Duane Reade store, part of the Walgreens chain, a store-brand pack of 500 acetaminophen pills costs $18.99. — Bloomberg, latimes.com, "Amazon is already undercutting prices on over-the-counter pills," 6 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acetaminophen.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for acetaminophen

acet(yl) + amino + phen(ol)

Note: Shortened from N-acetyl-p-aminophenol. Acetaminophen was introduced as a generic name roughly coincident with the introduction of the trademark preparation Tylenol, which was first marketed as "Children's Tylenol Elixir" in 1955 by McNeil Laboratories. Synthesis of the substance, as acetylamidophenol, was first reported in Berichte der Deutschen Chemischen Gesellschaft, 11. Jahrgang (Jan.-Juni, 1878), p. 232-33 (H. N. Morse, "Ueber eine neue Darstellungsmethode der Acetylamidophenole"). Its antipyretic properties were recognized by the German physician Josef von Mering in the 1893 article "Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Antipyretica" (Therapeutische Monatshefte, 7, pp. 577-87)—he also refers to it as acetylamidophenol.

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17 Jan 2019

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The first known use of acetaminophen was in 1958

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More Definitions for acetaminophen

acetaminophen

noun

English Language Learners Definition of acetaminophen

: a medicine that is used to relieve pain and fever

See the full definition for acetaminophen in the English Language Learners Dictionary

acetaminophen

noun

acet·amin·o·phen | \ ə-ˌsēt-ə-ˈmin-ə-fən,

ˌas-ət-

Medical Definition of acetaminophen

: a crystalline compound C₈H₉NO₂ that is a hydroxy derivative of acetanilide and is used in chemical synthesis and in medicine instead of aspirin to relieve pain and fever

— called also paracetamol

— see liquiprin, panadol, tylenol