Antifebrin

/ˌæntiˈfɛbrɪn/ noun

Definition

An old name for acetanilide, an early fever-reducing medicine that was used before aspirin became widely available.

Etymology

From anti- (against) + febrin (relating to fever). This pharmaceutical term emerged in the late 1800s when acetanilide was marketed as a modern fever treatment.

Kelly Says

Antifebrin was one of the first synthetic drugs ever created—chemists didn't discover it by extracting it from plants, but actually synthesized it in a laboratory in 1886, marking a turning point where humans could invent medicine rather than just finding it in nature, though it turned out to have dangerous side effects.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.