decongestant

[dee-kuhn-jes-tuhnt] Origin

de·con·ges·tant

[dee-kuhn-jes-tuhnt] Pharmacology
adjective
1.
of or pertaining to a substance that relieves mucus congestion of the upper respiratory tract.
noun
2.
any such substance.

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Decongestant is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.

Origin:
1945–50; de- + congest + -ant
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
decongestant (ˌdiːkənˈdʒɛstənt)
 
adj
1.  relieving congestion, esp nasal congestion
 
n
2.  a decongestant drug

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

decongestant
1950, from de- + congestant (see congest).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

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.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
decongestant   (dē'kən-jěs'tənt)  Pronunciation Key 
A medication that reduces congestion of the nose or sinuses, usually by causing vasoconstriction.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

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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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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