ketamine

noun ke·ta·mine \ ˈkē-tə-ˌmēn , ˈke- \

Updated on: 18 May 2018

Definition of ketamine

: a general anesthetic that is administered intravenously and intramuscularly in the form of its hydrochloride C₁₃H₁₆ClNO·HCl and that is used illicitly usually by being inhaled in powdered form especially for the dreamlike or hallucinogenic state it produces

Note: Ketamine is also called Special K when used as a recreational drug

Recent Examples of ketamine from the Web

And a growing number of posts on Reddit devoted to the subject indicates that people are microdosing all sorts of things, from ketamine (for depression) to cannabis (for pain management).

— simone kitchens, The Cut, "Microdosing’s Micromoment," 3 May 2018
Gave ketamine or morphine injections to course participants to demonstrate penile nerve blocks.

— dennis wagner, azcentral, "Arizona National Guard hired suspended doctor for training," 15 July 2015
By the time paramedics got him into the ambulance, and after receiving two him two sedatives, ketamine and midazolam, Trammell had stopped breathing and had no pulse.

— angela helm, The Root, "Wisconsin Police Who Tased Black Mentally Ill Man 18 Times Face No Charges in His Death," 28 Apr. 2018
Some warn that questions remain about ketamine’s long-term safety and effectiveness.

— john keilman, chicagotribune.com, "Ketamine, notorious club drug, shows great promise as a treatment for depression, clinic operators say," 4 Apr. 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 treatment was ketamine, an anesthetic used to sedate both people and animals before surgery.

— john keilman, chicagotribune.com, "Ketamine, notorious club drug, shows great promise as a treatment for depression, clinic operators say," 4 Apr. 2018
Police said at a Tuesday news conference that there has been a recent surge in drug cases, with amphetamine pills, marijuana, ketamine and ice seized in 11 unconnected cases since March 25.

— Bloomberg.com, "Methamphetamine Seizures Lead Surge in Thai Drug Busts," 3 Apr. 2018
The salt had no effect, and the ketamine resulted in hours of unpleasant phantasmagoric hallucinations.

— naomi fry, The New Yorker, "Are We Already Living in Virtual Reality?," 26 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of ketamine

ket- + amine

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1966

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

ketamine

noun ke·ta·mine \ ˈkēt-ə-ˌmēn \

medical Definition of ketamine

: a general anesthetic that is administered intravenously or intramuscularly in the form of its hydrochloride C₁₃H₁₆ClNO·HCl and that is used illicitly usually by being inhaled in powdered form especially for the dreamlike or hallucinogenic state it produces — see special k

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