Clofibrate

/kloʊˈfɪbreɪt/ noun

Definition

A medication used to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood.

Etymology

A 20th-century synthetic drug name combining 'chloro-' (chlorine) and 'fibrate' (a class of lipid-lowering medications). Created in pharmaceutical laboratories, it represents modern medical nomenclature rather than natural language evolution.

Kelly Says

Clofibrate was one of the first 'statins' before statins existed—doctors in the 1960s discovered it could dramatically reduce heart attacks in some patients, but later studies showed it might actually cause other health problems, making it a cautionary tale in medical science.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

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