Definition

A type of medication that is used to help people sleep or to calm them down. It is a white, odorless substance that belongs to a group of drugs called barbiturates.

Example

The doctor prescribed secobarbital to help the patient with severe insomnia.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of secobarbital?

Yeah, I think it's a type of sedative, right?

Exactly! It's used to help people sleep.

That sounds interesting, but I wonder how safe it is.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Secobarbital is formed from "seco-" (from Latin "secare", meaning to cut) and "barbital" (derived from "barbituric acid", which is a compound used in the synthesis of barbiturates). The term refers to a barbiturate that is derived from a compound that has been 'cut' or modified from its original structure.

Memory Tip

Think of 'cutting' ('seco-') a compound to create a specific type of medication, which is what secobarbital represents.

Visually Confused Words