phenobarbital

noun

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phe·no·bar·bi·tal | \ ˌfē-nō-ˈbär-bə-ˌtȯl

Definition of phenobarbital

: a crystalline barbiturate C₁₂H₁₂N₂O₃ used as a hypnotic, sedative, and anticonvulsant

Examples of phenobarbital in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In separate groups, Applewhite and his followers mixed the barbiturate phenobarbital into applesauce and washed it down with a swig of vodka, tying plastic bags over their heads to assure asphyxiation. — Mary Ellen Cagnassola, PEOPLE.com, 26 Mar. 2022 The case of Brandon Bernard, who received a lethal injection of phenobarbital at a U.S. prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, was a rare execution of a person who was in his teens when his crime was committed. — The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 Dec. 2020 That Barr, Sessions, and their underlings got Trump to kill so many people, so fast, and with such opacity around the sourcing of the drugs involved, particularly the controversial phenobarbital, bespeaks a deep, strange problem in America. — Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic, 11 Jan. 2021 Mandell’s 5-year-old Labradoodle, Frankie Feldman, was diagnosed with the disorder last year and put on phenobarbital and Keppra by his vet. — Susan Spillman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2019

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

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Dictionary Entries Near phenobarbital

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phenobarbitone

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“Phenobarbital.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phenobarbital. Accessed 15 Aug. 2022.

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More Definitions for phenobarbital

phenobarbital

noun

phe·no·bar·bi·tal | \ ˌfē-nō-ˈbär-bə-ˌtȯl, -tȧl

Medical Definition of phenobarbital

: a crystalline barbiturate C₁₂H₁₂N₂O₃ that is used orally or is administered by injection in the form of its sodium salt C₁₂H₁₁N₂NaO₃ as a hypnotic and sedative — see luminal