benzonatate

[ben-zon-uh-teyt]

noun

Pharmacology.

1. a nonnarcotic substance, C 30 H 53 NO 11 , used as a cough suppressant.

Word History and Origins

Origin of benzonatate¹

Perhaps benzo(ic acid) + (no)na(ethylene) + -t- (< ?) + -ate ³

Example Sentences

This article found that between 2010 and 2018, there were 3,590 cases of unintentional benzonatate ingestion resulting in calls to poison control centers, with most of them in children younger than 5, highlighting the need for more medication safety education.

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Tessalon is the brand under which the drug benzonatate is sold by a subsidiary of New York-based Forest Laboratories Inc. Generic versions are also on the market.

Read more on Seattle Times

The FDA says that from 1982 through May of this year, there have been seven cases where children younger than 10 accidentally ingested benzonatate.

Read more on Seattle Times