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• beta blocker
  beta blocker

  noun

  any of various substances that interfere with the action of the beta receptors: used primarily to reduce the heart rate or force in the prevention, management, or treatment of angina, hypertension, or arrythmias.
• beta-blocker
  beta-blocker

  noun

  any of a class of drugs, such as propranolol, that inhibit the activity of the nerves that are stimulated by adrenaline; they therefore decrease the contraction and speed of the heart: used in the treatment of high blood pressure and angina pectoris

beta blocker

American  

Or beta-blocker

noun

Pharmacology.

1. any of various substances that interfere with the action of the beta receptors: used primarily to reduce the heart rate or force in the prevention, management, or treatment of angina, hypertension, or arrythmias.

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beta-blocker British  

noun

1. any of a class of drugs, such as propranolol, that inhibit the activity of the nerves that are stimulated by adrenaline; they therefore decrease the contraction and speed of the heart: used in the treatment of high blood pressure and angina pectoris

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beta-blocker Scientific  

/ bā′tə-blŏk′ər /

1. A drug that blocks the excitatory effects of epinephrine on the cardiovascular system by binding to cell-surface receptors (called beta-receptors). Beta-blockers are used to treat high blood pressure, angina, and certain abnormal heart rhythms.

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Other Word Forms

• beta-blocking
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of beta blocker

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Ulixacaltamide could also provide an alternative to propranolol, a beta blocker used to treat a number of conditions, including essential tremor, which received its first FDA approval in 1967.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 16, 2025

The solution, some digital start-ups suggest, is a beta blocker, a type of medication that can slow heart rate and lower blood pressure — masking some of the physical symptoms of anxiety.

From New York Times • Apr. 3, 2024

Regardless, he and others hope for clinical trials to test whether preventive strategies, such as taking beta blocker drugs, might head off heart failure in someone flagged as high risk after COVID-19.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 15, 2020

Sitting across the desk from a scientist during an interview, having skipped a beta blocker, I asked a question about the controversial nature of his field and heard my voice waver.

From Slate • Jun. 25, 2019

In that case, you might be better off with just the beta blocker because it treats both conditions.

From Washington Post • Jan. 6, 2017