Antipyrine

/ˌæntɪˈpaɪriːn/ noun

Definition

A synthetic organic compound formerly used as a fever-reducing and pain-relieving medication; the chemical name for antipyrin.

Etymology

From anti- (against) + pyrine (from Greek pyr, fire, with chemical suffix -ine). This is the standardized chemical nomenclature for the drug called antipyrin.

Kelly Says

Antipyrine was among the first blockbuster drugs—synthesized in 1883, it was mass-marketed and widely used before anyone fully understood how it worked, an era when 'if it works' was enough for approval.

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