xylazine

English

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈzaɪləzɪn/

Noun

xylazine (uncountable)

1. (pharmacology) A potent α₂-adrenergic agonist used for sedation, anesthesia, and analgesia in large mammals; it is also misused as an adulterant in street drugs.

   Synonyms: sedazine, xylacine, xylazil, (slang) tranq, (slang) tranq dope

   • 2022 December 24, Noah Weiland, “A High-Tech Strategy for Keeping Drug Users Safe: Analyzing Their Fentanyl”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     The user had a hunch that there was fentanyl in the powder but feared the presence of xylazine, a dangerous animal tranquilizer that can leave oozing wounds on limbs.

   • 2023 January 7, Jan Hoffman, “Tranq Dope: Animal Sedative Mixed With Fentanyl Brings Fresh Horror to U.S. Drug Zones”, in The New York Times‎^[2], →ISSN:

     In her shattered Philadelphia neighborhood, and increasingly in drug hot zones around the country, an animal tranquilizer called xylazine — known by street names like “tranq,” “tranq dope” and “zombie drug” — is being used to bulk up illicit fentanyl, making its impact even more devastating.