Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

depressant en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • (US) audio
  • /dɪˈpɹɛsənt/ (UK, US)

Etymology

Etymology tree English depress Proto-Indo-European *-onts Latin -ns Latin -āns Old French -antbor. Proto-Indo-European *-onts Proto-Germanic *-ndz Proto-West Germanic *-andī Old English -ende Middle English -ant English -ant English depressant From depress + -ant.

Meanings

  1. Reducing functional or nervous activity.
    • the conception of the asomatous depressant malaria 1876, Alfred Alexander Woodhull, Studies, chiefly clinical […] :

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
most depressant Degree=Sup lexicographic
more depressant Degree=Cmp lexicographic

depressant en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio
  • (US) audio
  • /dɪˈpɹɛsənt/ (UK, US)

Etymology

Etymology tree English depress Proto-Indo-European *-onts Latin -ns Latin -āns Old French -antbor. Proto-Indo-European *-onts Proto-Germanic *-ndz Proto-West Germanic *-andī Old English -ende Middle English -ant English -ant English depressant From depress + -ant.

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) A pharmacological substance which decreases neuronal or physiological activity.
    • The prescription painkiller Emily Jackson took is a respiratory depressant that slows breathing. That in combination with the alcohol, another respiratory depressant, overwhelmed her brain, which stopped giving her heart and lungs the signal to keep functioning. 2012 November 15, Maxwell Newfield, “Prescription drug deaths: Two stories”, in CNN:
    • Alcohol acts first as a stimulant and then as a depressant.
    • On the opposite end of the drug side effect spectrum are downers. This slang term refers to CNS depressants, the types of drugs that produce a sedative effect by slowing down the messages sent and received between the central nervous system and the brain. 2024 April 10 [2020 August 27], Nick B., “Which Drugs Are Uppers And Downers?”, in The Freedom Center:
  2. (countable, uncountable) An agent that inhibits the flotation of a mineral or minerals.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
depressants Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

cardiodepressant · immunodepressant · prodepressant · antidepressant · manic-depressant · neurodepressant

Translations (14)

ga dúlagrán (substance which decreases physiological activity) · id depresan (substance which decreases physiological activity) · ko 억제제 (substance which decreases physiological activity) · hi अवसादक (substance which decreases physiological activity) · fi depressantti (substance which decreases physiological activity) · cy iselydd (substance which decreases physiological activity) · ms ڤننڠ (substance which decreases physiological activity) · mi pūroi haupēhi (substance which decreases physiological activity) · id penenang (substance which decreases physiological activity) · fa سرکوبکننده (substance which decreases physiological activity) · hi अवनमक (substance which decreases physiological activity) · ms depresen (substance which decreases physiological activity) · cmn 镇静剂 (substance which decreases physiological activity) · fi lamaute (substance which decreases physiological activity)