premedicantn.adj.
/priːˈmɛdᵻk(ə)nt/, U.S. /ˌpriˈmɛdək(ə)nt/ Medicine.
A. n.
A drug given as premedication.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > [noun] > preparatory medicines
preparativea1400
preparer1610
preparatory1676
premedication1920
premedicant1929
preanaesthetic1930
pre-med1964
1929 Internat. Jrnl. Orthodontia, Oral Surg. & Radiogr. 15 602 I suggest as premedicants morphine, chloretone, or hyoscin-morphine-cactin.
1977 Lancet 10 Dec. 1229/2 Anæsthetic premedicants include the minor tranquillisers (e.g., diazepam), major tranquillisers (e.g., droperidol), barbiturates, and opiates.
1993 Canad. Jrnl. Anaesthesia 40 612 Clonidine has been demonstrated to attenuate many of these undesirable effects when used as a premedicant.
B. adj.
Used or given as premedication.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > [adjective] > preparatory
preparative1639
premedicant1960
1960 Proc. Royal Soc. Med. 53 673/1 The sister in charge administered the premedicant combinations in rotation, leaving the anaesthetist..in ignorance of the drugs given to particular patients.
1971 W. J. Pryor & A. D. Macalister Gen. Anaesthetic & Sedation Techniques for Dentistry ix. 60 The description of premedicant drugs..should enable the anaesthetist to select appropriate combinations for any particular circumstance.
1992 Austral. Vet. Jrnl. 69 187 Blood samples collected from dogs under the influence of premedicant doses of acepromazine maleate or xylazine.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.1929