noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˌfiː.nə(ʊ)ˈbɑː.bɪt.əl/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌfɛn.ə(ʊ)ˈbɑː.bɪt.əl/
General-American:/ˌfiː.noʊˈbɑɹ.bəˌtɔl/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A narcotic and sedative barbiturate drug used chiefly to treat epilepsy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: medicine, pharmacology, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
a long-acting barbiturate used as a sedative
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bheh2-der. Proto-Hellenic *pháňňō Ancient Greek φαίνω (phaínō)der. ▲ Ancient Greek φαίνω (phaínō)der. French phéno- Proto-Indo-European *swel-der.? Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)der. French -yle French phénylebor. English phenyl Ancient Greek -ο- (-o-)der. Latin -o-bor. English -o- English pheno- English barbital English phenobarbital From pheno- + barbital.
Across languages
Translations
5 source translations are retained for this English entry.