thalidomide
noun /θəˈlɪdəmaɪd/
/θəˈlɪdəmaɪd/
[uncountable]- a sedative drug that was used until the 1960s, when it was discovered that, if given to pregnant women, it prevented some babies from developing normal arms and legsWord Origin1950s: from (ph)thal(ic acid) + (im)ido + (i)mide.