ketamine

noun

ke·ta·mine | \ ˈkē-tə-ˌmēn ,

ˈke- \

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

Examples of ketamine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead she was drugged with the tranquilizer ketamine, handcuffed and zipped into a bag before being driven in the trunk of a car to a farmhouse outside Turin, more than 100 miles away. — Adam Carlson, PEOPLE.com, "Model Was Lured to Italy, Drugged and Then Held for Ransom for Days by 'Psychopath'," 12 June 2018 He was treated for an overdose of ketamine, a powerful medication used for anesthesia, according to the ruling. — J.d. Capelouto, BostonGlobe.com, "Federal judge tosses case of man on ketamine who sued Bellingham police after wild melee at station," 29 June 2018 As the man drifted into unconsciousness, one EMT asked how much ketamine had been injected. — Michael Harriot, The Root, "Minneapolis Cops Secretly Used 'Date Rape Drug' on Suspects for Years: Report," 18 June 2018 Image Minneapolis police officers asked emergency medical workers dozens of times over three years to inject suspects and others with the powerful anesthetic ketamine, including some who were already restrained, The Star Tribune reported on Friday. — Christopher Mele, New York Times, "Ketamine Used to Subdue Dozens at Request of Minneapolis Police, Report Says," 16 June 2018 When infused at low doses into patients with life-threatening depression, ketamine has been shown to be a powerful and fast-acting antidepressant. — Melissa Healy, latimes.com, "Psychedelic drugs change brain cells in ways that could help fight depression, addiction and more," 12 June 2018 This is why there's so much excitement around ketamine. — Moises Velasquez-manoff, WIRED, "Ketamine Stirs Up Hope—and Controversy—as a Depression Drug," 8 May 2018 Instead, at the photo studio she was injected with horse tranquillizer ketamine by a man in a ski mask, stuffed into a suitcase and smuggled to a remote Italian farmhouse. — Amy Jones, Fox News, "Kidnapped model hits back at abduction doubters, says she was willing to have sex with kidnapper to stay alive," 25 June 2018 Prosecutors say the conspiracy involved the distribution of fentanyl, ketamine, cocaine and heroin. — Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati.com, "11 charged in massive drug, money-laundering conspiracy," 25 June 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.

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Last Updated

10 Aug 2018

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The first known use of ketamine was in 1966

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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