Definition

A medication that helps open the airways in the lungs and is also used to prevent premature labor during pregnancy.

Example

The doctor prescribed terbutaline to help manage the patient's asthma symptoms.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of terbutaline?

Yeah, isn't it used for asthma or something?

Exactly! It's a bronchodilator that helps with breathing issues.

That's interesting! I didn't know it could be used for that.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Terbutaline is a synthetic drug name derived from the components 'tert-' (a prefix indicating a tertiary structure in organic chemistry) and 'butyl' (from 'butane', a four-carbon alkane) combined with the suffix '-ine' (commonly used in chemistry to denote substances). The name reflects its chemical structure as a tertiary butyl derivative.

Memory Tip

Think of 'tert-' indicating a special structure and 'butyl' relating to a four-carbon chain — this helps you remember that terbutaline is a specific type of chemical compound.

Visually Confused Words