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beta blocker

or beta-blocker

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noun Pharmacology.
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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Origin of beta blocker

First recorded in 1975–80

OTHER WORDS FROM beta blocker

beta-blocking, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use beta blocker in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for 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
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 beta blocker

beta-blocker
[ bātə-blŏk′ər ]

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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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