Meaning & use

Seconal

proper noun·Advanced

A brand name for secobarbital, a fast-acting barbiturate once widely prescribed as a sedative.

See it in a sentence

Doctors prescribed Seconal for insomnia before safer sleep medications became available.

The novel's character overdoses on Seconal, a detail that dates the story to the mid-20th century.

A note on using this word

Largely a historical or literary reference today, since barbiturates like Seconal have mostly been replaced by safer medications.

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