benzodiazepine

noun ben·zo·di·az·e·pine \ ˌben-zō-dī-ˈa-zə-ˌpēn \

Updated on: 26 Apr 2018

Definition of benzodiazepine

: any of a group of aromatic lipophilic amines (such as diazepam and chlordiazepoxide) used especially as tranquilizers

Recent Examples of benzodiazepine from the Web

An autopsy shows Bartley died of acute alcohol intoxication and abuse of benzodiazepines, a drug typically prescribed to treat anxiety and insomnia last year, the Associated Press reports.

— cliff pinckard, cleveland.com, "Ohio woman gives teen vodka, now faces charges in his death, reports say," 22 Apr. 2018
Chambers tested positive for cocaine and marijuana, as well as benzodiazepines, which are typically known as tranquilizers, Investigator Jamie King wrote in a police report.

— ashley remkus, AL.com, "Mother jailed after children test positive for cocaine and meth, records state," 10 Jan. 2018
Midazolam, a benzodiazepine, was developed in the 1970s and became one of the world’s most commonly used sedatives; it is used to make a prisoner unconscious and limit pain.

— timothy williams, New York Times, "Oklahoma Turns to Gas for Executions Amid Turmoil Over Lethal Injection," 14 Mar. 2018
For years, geriatricians and researchers have sounded the alarm about the use of benzodiazepines among older adults.

— paula span, New York Times, "A Quiet Drug Problem Among the Elderly," 16 Mar. 2018
Other drugs, such as cocaine and benzodiazepines, often called benzos, remained relatively stable.

— beth warren, The Courier-Journal, "Overdose deaths are out of control. Louisville is battling back with this massive plan," 16 Mar. 2018
For example, odds rose higher for teens with anxiety who take benzodiazepines (such as Xanax); kids with mood disorders who take an SNRI (such as Cymbalta); and those taking antipsychotics for schizophrenia (such as Abilify).

— dennis thompson, chicagotribune.com, "Certain teens more likely to get hooked on opioids," 16 Mar. 2018
Prescriptions for benzodiazepines increased by 67 percent between 1996 and 2013, from 8.1 million to 13.5 million.

— dennis thompson, baltimoresun.com, "Xanax, Valium looking like America's next drug crisis," 14 Mar. 2018
Alcohol is another drug that's dangerous to mix with opioids or benzodiazepines.

— tessie castillo, SELF, "Here Are the Medications You Should Never Mix With Opioids," 6 Mar. 2018

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