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depressant

[dih-pres-uh nt]
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adjective
  1. Medicine/Medical. having the quality of depressing or lowering the vital activities; sedative.
  2. causing a lowering in spirits; dejecting.
  3. causing a drop in value; economically depressing.
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noun
  1. Medicine/Medical. a sedative.Compare stimulant(def 1).
  2. Chemistry. any agent capable of diminishing a specific property of a substance.
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Origin of depressant

First recorded in 1875–80; depress + -ant
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

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British Dictionary definitions for depressant

depressant

adjective
  1. med able to diminish or reduce nervous or functional activity
  2. causing gloom or dejection; depressing
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noun
  1. a depressant drug
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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

Word Origin and History for depressant

n.

"sedative," 1876 as a noun, 1887 as an adjective; see depress + -ant.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
depressant in Medicine

depressant

(dĭ-prĕs′ənt)
adj.
  1. Tending to lower the rate of vital physiological activities.
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n.
  1. An agent, especially a drug, that decreases the rate of vital physiological activities.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.