tranquilizer
Americannoun
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a person or thing that tranquilizes.
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a drug that has a sedative or calming effect without inducing sleep.
Etymology
Origin of tranquilizer
First recorded in 1790–1800; tranquilize + -er 1
Explanation
A medication that's used to relax patients is called a tranquilizer. If someone suffers from severe anxiety, their doctor might prescribe a tranquilizer. The word tranquilizer is commonly used for anti-anxiety or anti-psychotic drugs, but it's not the term most medical professionals use. They are much more likely to use sedative, neuroleptic, or anxiolytic for a calming medication. Tranquilizer, from tranquility or "the state of being calm," was first used for sedatives in 1824, and for anti-anxiety drugs in 1954.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
So it hired a veterinarian who now goes out on the course, sneaking around and stalking kangaroos with a tranquilizer dart-gun.
From Salon • Nov. 13, 2023
The moose was sedated with a tranquilizer dart and loaded onto a trailer before being evaluated by a Game and Fish Department veterinarian and determined to be in good health.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 13, 2023
After being treated with a tranquilizer and an anti-inflammatory, the colt didn’t improve and went to the hospital.
From Washington Times • Aug. 21, 2023
Still, something about these shows conveys a sort of masochistic pleasure, a desire to put you through the ringer, or maybe make you reach for a tranquilizer.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2023
“She knew about Reggie and the tranquilizer gun. She knew about the tunnel and the code for the door. It felt like she was still part of MI6, not Umbra.”
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
