pentobarbital

English

Chemical structure of pentobarbital

Alternative forms

• pentobarbitone (UK)

Etymology

From pent(yl) +‎ -o- +‎ barbital.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌpɛn.təˈbɑɹ.bəˌtɔl/

Noun

pentobarbital (countable and uncountable, plural pentobarbitals)

1. (pharmacology) A narcotic and sedative barbiturate drug (trademark Nembutal) formerly used to relieve insomnia.
   • 2016, Christopher Kelly, The Pink Bus, Mapple Shade, New Jersey: Lethe Press, page 146:

     And lest anyone think traipsing through the gray and bleach-smelly execution chamber where triple homicide offenders are injected with pentobarbital isn't depressing enough, later they will stage a press conference in front of the gates of Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery, the parched plot of land where executed prisoners whose bodies family members prefer not to claim are buried.

Synonyms

• equitensin
• euthesate

Derived terms

• sodium pentobarbital

References

• “pentobarbital”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “pentobarbital”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.