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thalidomide

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tha⋅lid⋅o⋅mide

[thuh-lid-uh-mahyd]
–noun
a crystalline, slightly water-soluble solid, C13H10N2O4, formerly used as a sedative: if taken during pregnancy, it may cause severe abnormalities in the limbs of the fetus.

Origin:
1955–60; (ph)thal(im)ido(glutari)mide = phthalimide ( phthal(ic) + imide ) + -o- + glutarimide ( glut(en) + (tart)ar(ic) + imide )
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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tha·lid·o·mide   (thə-lĭd'ə-mīd')   
n.  A sedative and hypnotic drug, C13H10N2O4, withdrawn from general use after it was found to cause severe birth defects when taken during pregnancy. It is sometimes prescribed to treat leprosy.

[(ph)thal(ic acid) + (im)id(e) + (i)mide.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

thalidomide [(thuh-lid-uh-meyed)]

A sedative drug that was developed and used in Europe in the 1960s. Thalidomide was taken off the market when it became evident that it caused severe birth defects in babies born to women who had used the drug during pregnancy.

Note: References to thalidomide are often made when illustrating the dangers of using drugs whose side effects are not well known.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

Thalidomide 
1958, from "phthalimidoglutarimide," based on abbreviated form of naphthalene; a morning-sickness drug responsible for severe birth defects in Europe from 1956 to 1961, when it was withdrawn. It was never approved for use in America thanks to the efforts of Dr. Helen Brooke Taussig. Thalidomide baby is attested from 1962.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: tha·lid·o·mide
Pronunciation: th&-'lid-&-"mId, -m&d
Function: noun
: a sedative and hypnotic drugC13H10N2O4 that has been the cause of malformation in infants born to mothers using it during pregnancy
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

thalidomide tha·lid·o·mide (thə-lĭd'ə-mīd')
n.
A sedative and hypnotic drug that was withdrawn from sale after it was found to cause severe birth defects when taken during pregnancy.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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