levodopa

[ lee-vuh-doh-puh ]

noun

, Pharmacology.

1. a synthetic substance, C 9 H 11 NO 4 , that is converted in the brain to dopamine: used chiefly in the treatment of parkinsonism.

levodopa

/ ˌliːvəʊˈdəʊpə /

noun

1. See L-dopa
   another name for L-dopa

Word History and Origins

Origin of levodopa¹

First recorded in 1965–70; levo- + dopa