Definition

A chemical substance used to treat depression.

Example

The doctor prescribed isocarboxazid to help manage her depression.

Conversation

Have you heard about isocarboxazid?

Yeah, I read it's used as an antidepressant.

I’m curious about how effective isocarboxazid really is for people.

It seems to help some individuals, but everyone reacts differently.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Isocarboxazid is formed from "iso-" (meaning equal or similar), "carboxy" (from the chemical term referring to the carboxyl group, which is derived from the Latin "carbo" meaning coal or carbon and "oxys" meaning acid), and "azid" (from the chemical term referring to the azide group, which comes from the Arabic "al-nitrogen" meaning nitrogen). The word refers to a compound that has a similar structure to carboxylic acids and contains an azide group.

Memory Tip

Think of 'iso-' meaning similar, and 'carboxy' referring to a specific chemical group, along with 'azid' indicating the presence of nitrogen. This helps you remember that isocarboxazid is a compound related to carboxylic acids with a nitrogen component.

Visually Confused Words