beta blocker

or beta-blocker


nounPharmacology.
  1. any of various substances that interfere with the action of the beta receptors: used primarily to reduce the heart rate or force in the prevention, management, or treatment of angina, hypertension, or arrythmias.

Origin of beta blocker

1
First recorded in 1975–80

Other words from beta blocker

  • beta-blocking, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use beta blocker in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for beta-blocker

beta-blocker

noun
  1. any of a class of drugs, such as propranolol, that inhibit the activity of the nerves that are stimulated by adrenaline; they therefore decrease the contraction and speed of the heart: used in the treatment of high blood pressure and angina pectoris

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for beta-blocker

beta-blocker

[ tə-blŏk′ər ]


  1. A drug that blocks the excitatory effects of epinephrine on the cardiovascular system by binding to cell-surface receptors (called beta-receptors). Beta-blockers are used to treat high blood pressure, angina, and certain abnormal heart rhythms.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.