antihistamine

[ an-ti-his-tuh-meen, -min ]

nounPhysiology, Pharmacology.

any of certain compounds or medicines that neutralize or inhibit the effect of histamine in the body, used chiefly in the treatment of allergic disorders and colds.

Origin of antihistamine

First recorded in 1930–35; anti- + histamine

Words Nearby antihistamine

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use antihistamine in a sentence

She prescribed an antihistamine to treat the latter and advised Cutter to see an ear, nose and throat specialist.
Hours after a massage, a professor was wildly dizzy and deaf in one ear | Sandra G. Boodman | December 11, 2021 | Washington Post
For example, they don’t know not to mix large amounts of alcohol or large amounts of antihistamines.
I Am a Heroin User. I Do Not Have a Drug Problem - Issue 96: Rewired | Mark MacNamara | February 17, 2021 | Nautilus
“He gave me a blue pill, which he said was an antihistamine,” said Chelan.
Two New Bill Cosby Accusers Come Forward: ‘We Challenge Mr. Cosby to End This Nightmare’ | Marlow Stern | December 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
And, Zyrtec, an antihistamine, was the highest grossing nonfood of 2008, coming in at $316 million in sales.
Blame Climate Change for Your Terrible Seasonal Allergies | Kent Sepkowitz | May 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Elvis also had the painkillers morphine and Demerol; tranquilizers Placidyl and Valium; and Chlorpheniramine, an antihistamine.
Elvis's Doctor Speaks | Gerald Posner | August 14, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for antihistamine

antihistamine

/ (ˌæntɪˈhɪstəˌmiːn, -mɪn) /

noun

any drug that neutralizes the effects of histamine, used esp in the treatment of allergies

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

Scientific definitions for antihistamine

antihistamine

[ ăn′tē-hĭs′tə-mēn′ ]

Any of various drugs that relieve cold or allergy symptoms by blocking the action of histamine.

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