barbiturate
/bɑːˈbɪtjʊrət
/ /bɑːˈbɪtjʊreɪt/noun
1Any of a class of sedative and sleep-inducing drugs derived from barbituric acid.Drugs for which subjects were tested included cocaine, opiates, marijuana, phencyclidine, benzodiazepines, methaqualone, methadone, propoxyphene, barbiturates, and amphetamines....
- Amphetamines, barbiturates, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, anti-depressants, and analgesics, for example, were available over the counter or through a doctor's prescription and were widely used.
- Until twenty years ago the main group of sedative drugs were the barbiturates, now almost entirely replaced by the benzodiazepines.
1.1 Chemistry A salt or ester of barbituric acid.Since then, more than 2,500 barbiturates have been synthesized, of which more than 50 have been marketed....
- He was addicted to tranquillisers and codeine tablets, taking up to 60 per day at one point, after he became hooked on the barbiturates during a period of depression.
- An attack can also be brought on as a result of withdrawal from alcohol or barbiturates; extreme emotional distress, or fatigue.