pentobarbital

noun

pen·to·bar·bi·tal | \ ˌpen-tə-ˈbär-bə-ˌtȯl

Definition of pentobarbital

: a granular barbiturate C₁₁H₁₈N₂O₃ used especially in the form of its sodium or calcium salt as a sedative, hypnotic, and antispasmodic

Examples of pentobarbital in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While 31 states have the death penalty, more than half of executions in the U.S. this year were carried out by Texas, whose single-drug protocol uses a lethal dose of the barbiturate pentobarbital. — Jacob Gershman, WSJ, "Nebraska Set to Use Drug Cocktail That Includes Fentanyl in Execution Tuesday," 13 Aug. 2018 Since then, the state has endured legal challenges and difficulties finding execution drugs including its previous one, pentobarbital. — Fox News, "Tennessee executes its first inmate in nearly a decade," 9 Aug. 2018 As a result, states looking to use pentobarbital in their procedures had to look elsewhere to buy the drug. — Abdullah Shihipar, Teen Vogue, "Lethal Injection Drugs and the Death Penalty, Explained," 30 Oct. 2018 Lab results from tests of the ingredient in which pentobarbital was found confirmed the animal fat was sourced from cow, chicken, and pig, which are common sources in pet food. — David J. Neal, miamiherald, "No dog in our dog food, Gravy Train maker says. But what about that euthanasia drug? | Miami Herald," 4 Mar. 2018 Carlton Gary, 67, is scheduled to die by injection of the barbiturate pentobarbital on Thursday evening at the state prison in Jackson. — Fox News, "'Stocking strangler' Carlton Gary to be executed Thursday in Georgia," 15 Mar. 2018 Currently, the state uses compounded pentobarbital for executions, as has been the protocol since 2011. — Keri Blakinger, Houston Chronicle, "Media outlets fight to keep lethal injection court hearing open to public," 15 June 2018 His head was shaking slightly as the lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital began. — NBC News, "Texas executes convicted killer whose attorneys proposed firing squad," 28 June 2018 None of the 20 inmates executed since Missouri began using pentobarbital in 2013 have shown obvious signs of pain or suffering. — Fox News, "Missouri man who killed ex's new boyfriend gets 2nd stay of execution," 20 Mar. 2018

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

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16 Feb 2019

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The first known use of pentobarbital was in 1931

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pentobarbital

noun

pen·to·bar·bi·tal | \ ˌpent-ə-ˈbär-bə-ˌtȯl

Medical Definition of pentobarbital

: a granular barbiturate used especially in the form of its sodium salt C₁₁H₁₇N₂NaO₃ or calcium salt (C₁₁H₁₇N₂O₃)₂Ca as a sedative, hypnotic, and antispasmodic