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lidocaine

noun
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li·​do·​caine | \ ˈlī-də-ˌkān How to pronounce lidocaine (audio) \

Definition of lidocaine

: a crystalline compound C14H22N2O that is used in the form of its hydrochloride as a local anesthetic and as an antiarrhythmic agent

Examples of lidocaine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Fjerstad pointed to recent shortages of drugs like the anesthetic lidocaine, which forced some doctors to cancel surgeries and other treatments. — Anna North, Vox, "America’s first generic abortion pill, explained," 20 Aug. 2019 In late March, California’s Board of Pharmacy barred the distribution of medications — including lidocaine and other local anesthetics — from a Texas factory belonging to the company, PharMEDium. — Pauline Bartolone, Washington Post, "Safety Violations Compound Pain Of Painkiller Shortages," 16 Apr. 2018 In July of 2017, an FDA investigator visited a facility in northeastern China where Zhejiang Bangli Medical Products manufactured lidocaine and capsaicin skin patches for treating pain. — Katherine Eban, WIRED, "8 Ways Overseas Drug Manufacturers Dupe the FDA," 7 Aug. 2019 The drug is mixed with something else: crushed antianxiety pills, the anesthetic lidocaine, sometimes just sugar or a sugar substitute. — Erin Allday, SFChronicle.com, "Fentanyl rising as killer in San Francisco — 57 dead in a year," 23 June 2019 And to my doctor for the lidocaine shots (no joke). — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "Ariana Grande Just Updated a Tattoo She Got With Pete Davidson," 18 Mar. 2019 And to my doctor for the lidocaine shots (no joke). — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "Ariana Grande Just Updated a Tattoo She Got With Pete Davidson," 18 Mar. 2019 And to my doctor for the lidocaine shots (no joke). — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Good News: Ariana Grande Fixed Her Tattoo. Bad News: It Might Still Be Misspelled.," 31 Jan. 2019 Rather than opioids like oxycodone, hydrocodone or fentanyl, Stader said, doctors used safer and less addictive alternatives, like ketamine and lidocaine, an anesthetic commonly used by dentists. — John Daley, Washington Post, "Ten ERs In Colorado Tried To Curtail Opioids And Did Better Than Expected," 23 Feb. 2018

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

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First Known Use of lidocaine

circa 1949, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for lidocaine

acetanilid + -o- + -caine

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Time Traveler for lidocaine

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The first known use of lidocaine was circa 1949

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Cite this Entry

“Lidocaine.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lidocaine. Accessed 6 December 2019.

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More Definitions for lidocaine

lidocaine

noun
li·​do·​caine | \ ˈlīd-ə-ˌkān How to pronounce lidocaine (audio) \

Medical Definition of lidocaine

: a crystalline compound C14H22N2O used as a local anesthetic often in the form of its hydrochloride C14H22N2O·HCl

— called also lignocaine

— see xylocaine

More from Merriam-Webster on lidocaine

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lidocaine

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