hypodermic
Americanadjective
-
characterized by the introduction of medicine or drugs under the skin.
hypodermic injection.
-
introduced under the skin.
a hypodermic medication.
-
pertaining to parts under the skin.
-
stimulating; energizing.
noun
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a hypodermic remedy.
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a hypodermic injection.
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the administration of drugs into subcutaneous body tissues.
adjective
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of or relating to the region of the skin beneath the epidermis
-
injected beneath the skin
noun
-
a hypodermic syringe or needle
-
a hypodermic injection
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hypodermic
First recorded in 1860–65; hypoderm(a) + -ic
Explanation
Hypodermic is a medical term that refers to anything related to just under the skin. A hypodermic needle injects medicine into your veins. The prefix hypo- means "under," while the Latin word derma refers to "skin." You might remember this easily by thinking about the word dermatologist, which is a doctor who deals with skin issues. Hypodermic is also a noun that refers to a syringe, or needle, that pierces beneath the skin. As an adjective, hypodermic means anything that relates to or is found below the skin, like a hypodermic bruise.
Vocabulary lists containing hypodermic
Body Language: Derm ("Skin")
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And Then There Were None
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Bronx Masquerade
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But the Beauty was originally intended as a commercial product, a “fountain of youth” in hypodermic form, created by immortality-seeking billionaires.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026
"Mosquitoes evolved right along with them with a new feeding strategy of developing hypodermic needles for mouths and feeding on blood in order for females to have plenty of protein to develop mature eggs."
From Science Daily • Oct. 18, 2023
You think the Iron Throne is bad, the bassinets in the Seven Kingdoms are probably made out of old razor blades and hypodermic needles.
From Washington Post • Sep. 11, 2022
The hollow hypodermic needles typically used to deliver vaccines depend on positive pressure.
From Science Magazine • Mar. 18, 2022
Doc Daneeka accepted the explanation and put away his hypodermic syringe.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
