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

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Such figures include Bella Noche, whom Desmond conducted a Facebook livestream with, in which Desmond referenced ketamine and imitated snorting it. — Madeleine Kearns, National Review, "‘Desmond Is Amazing’ Needs Saving," 11 June 2019 Both can be used as an anesthetic, but esketamine is a more potent form of ketamine on some receptors in your brain. — Korin Miller, SELF, "What You Need to Know About Esketamine, the First Nasal Spray Approved to Treat Depression," 7 Mar. 2019 Esketamine is related to ketamine, an anesthetic that has also been studied to help with treatment-resistant depression. — Korin Miller, SELF, "What You Need to Know About Esketamine, the First Nasal Spray Approved to Treat Depression," 7 Mar. 2019 The drug, a nasal spray that manufacturer Johnson & Johnson has branded Spravato, is a close chemical relation to ketamine, an anesthetic that is known for its heady effects on the brain. — Peter Loftus, WSJ, "FDA Approves Controversial Drug for Depression," 5 Mar. 2019 The boys had never scuba dived before, and to keep them from panicking in the dark, murky water, an anesthesiologist gave them ketamine and valium. — Brian Resnick, Vox, "10 science stories in 2018 that made us go, “Whoa, that’s awesome”," 18 Dec. 2018 Related stories from Miami Herald What are the benefits of ketamine infusions? — Josh Magness, miamiherald, "It’s a psychedelic party drug — and it can also treat suicidal people, study finds | Miami Herald," 22 Mar. 2018 According to Shah, feeling the effects of ketamine within 24 hours of treatment is typical. — Alice Levitt, Vox, "I tried ketamine to treat my depression. Within a day, I felt relief.," 24 July 2018 Source: RX Savings Solutions Among generic drugmakers with the largest increases, Hikma Pharmaceuticals HKMPY -6.65% PLC raised the price of pain drug morphine by 10%, anesthetic ketamine by 20% and blood-pressure medication enalaprilat by 30%. — Jared S. Hopkins, WSJ, "Drugmakers Raise Prices on Hundreds of Medicines," 1 Jan. 2019

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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15 Jun 2019

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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