definitions

anticholinergic

[ an-ti-koh-luh-nur-jik, -kol-uh- ]
/ ˌæn tɪˌkoʊ ləˈnɜr dʒɪk, -ˌkɒl ə- /
Biochemistry, Pharmacology

adjective

of or relating to a substance that opposes the effects of acetylcholine; interfering with the passage of parasympathetic nerve impulses.Compare cholinolytic.

noun

an anticholinergic substance, as a drug.

RELATED CONTENT

The Words That Make Us Tick: What Users Are Looking Up On Dictionary.com Every DayYou may have noticed a nifty new tool scrolling across the top of Dictionary.com. But, what makes it tick?
READ MORE

Nearby words

anticavity, anticensorship, anticenter, antichlor, antichoice, anticholinergic, anticholinesterase, antichrist, antichristian, antichthon, anticipant

Origin of anticholinergic

1940–45; anti- + cholinergic, equivalent to choline + -ergic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for anticholinergic

anticholinergic

/ (ˌæntɪˌkɒlɪˈnɜːdʒɪk) /

adjective

physiol blocking nerve impulses through the parasympathetic nerves

noun

med a drug or agent that blocks these nerve impulses, used to control intestinal spasm, increase the heart rate, dilate the pupils for examination of the eyes, dry secretions in anaesthesia, and in some forms to treat Alzheimer's disease
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for anticholinergic

anticholinergic

[ ăn′tē-kō′lə-nûr′jĭk, ăn′tī- ]

n.

An agent that is antagonistic to the action of parasympathetic or other cholinergic nerve fibers.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.