Definition

A type of drug that was used in the past to help people sleep, belonging to a group of medications known as barbiturates.

Example

The doctor prescribed veronal to help the patient with insomnia.

Conversation

I heard you were having trouble sleeping lately.

Yeah, it's been tough. I was thinking about trying some veronal to help me out.

Isn't that a bit risky? I've heard mixed opinions about it.

True, but I might need something to knock me out for a few nights.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Veronal is derived from the name of the city of Verona in Italy, combined with the suffix '-al' (meaning pertaining to). The word refers to a substance related to or derived from Verona, specifically a sedative drug.

Memory Tip

Think of Verona, a city in Italy, to remember that veronal is a substance related to that place.

Visually Confused Words