Pentothal

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A barbiturate compound administered intravenously to induce anesthesia or sedation during medical procedures
2. A fast-acting barbiturate medication used to put patients to sleep for surgery or to calm severe anxiety
3. An injectable barbiturate drug that depresses the central nervous system to produce unconsciousness or deep relaxation

Etymology: Pentothal was a trademark name for sodium thiopental, a barbiturate drug that was used as an intravenous anaesthetic. The name was registered by its manufacturer, and it stuck in popular speech as a shorthand for the drug, which was often called "truth serum" because it was sometimes given to make people talk freely. That nickname reflects the drug's sedating effect rather than any real ability to force honesty. The word belongs to a common pattern in which a brand name becomes a generic term for the product itself, much like other pharmaceutical and commercial names that passed into everyday use. The source identifies it simply as a trademark, so its history begins with the company that coined it for commercial sale.

Synonyms: thiopental, sodium thiopental, barbiturate