ketamine

noun

ke·​ta·​mine ˈke-tə-ˌmēn  ˈkē- 

: 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

Examples of ketamine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

State officials have since told paramedics to stop using excited delirium as a basis for administering ketamine. —Mead Gruver, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026

McClain, a 23-year-old Black man, died after Aurora police put him in a neck hold and a paramedic injected him with an overdose of sedative ketamine. —Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 4 June 2026

Chavez was sentenced to three years of probation, eight months of home detention and was ordered to perform 300 hours of community service after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. —Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026

One of the two doctors who pleaded guilty to distributing the ketamine to Perry, Salvador Plasencia, was sentenced to 30 months in prison. —Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 27 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

ket(one) + amine

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ketamine

• acridine
• acrolein
• adenine
• alkylene
• aniline
• anthracene
• aquiline
• asphaltene
• atlantean
• atrazine
• butadiene
• butylene

Medical Definition

ketamine

noun

ke·​ta·​mine ˈkēt-ə-ˌmēn 

: 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