nembutal

English

Etymology

Brand name.

Noun

nembutal (uncountable)

1. (pharmacology) A trade name of pentobarbital.
   • 1952 October 13, Richard L. Williams, “‘To sleep: perchance…’”, in Life, volume 33, number 15, page 110:

     Nearly every pharmaceutical house has its own brands, sold in tablets, solutions or brightly-colored capsules, on which its “detail men” keep doctors informed. Probably the most popular successors to Veronal are Seconal (“red birds” to the bootleg trade) and Nembutal (“yellow jackets”).

Derived terms

• nembie
• thionembutal