decongestant
Use Decongestant in a sentence
kənˈdʒɛsBased on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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decongestant (ˌdiːkənˈdʒɛstənt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | relieving congestion, esp nasal congestion |
| —n | |
| 2. | a decongestant drug |
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| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
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decongestant de·con·ges·tant (dē'kən-jěs'tənt)
n.
A medication or treatment that breaks up congestion, as that of the sinuses, by reducing swelling. adj.
Capable of relieving congestion.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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| decongestant (dē'kən-jěs'tənt) Pronunciation Key
A medication that reduces congestion of the nose or sinuses, usually by causing vasoconstriction. |
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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decongestant
any drug used to relieve swelling of the nasal mucosa accompanying such conditions as the common cold and hay fever. When administered in nasal sprays or drops or in devices for inhalation, decongestants shrink the mucous membranes lining the nasal cavity by contracting the muscles of blood vessel walls, thus reducing blood flow to the inflamed areas. The constricting action chiefly affects the smallest arteries, the arterioles, although capillaries, veins, and larger arteries respond to some degree
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