phenylephrine

American

[fen-l-ef-reen, -rin, feen-] / ˌfɛn lˈɛf rin, -rɪn, ˌfin- /

noun

Pharmacology.

an alpha-adrenergic stimulant, C 1 9 H 1 3 NO 2 , used chiefly as a nasal decongestant.

Etymology

Origin of phenylephrine

First recorded in 1945–50; phenyl + (epin)ephrine

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.

Most over-the-counter cough and cold remedies contain the oral decongestant phenylephrine, which the Food and Drug Administration recently admitted is ineffective.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 6, 2024

The findings do not apply to nasal sprays containing phenylephrine.

From Washington Times • Oct. 20, 2023

CVS Health will remove from its shelves certain oral cough and cold products with phenylephrine as the only active ingredient, the U.S. pharmacy chain said on Thursday.

From Reuters • Oct. 20, 2023

The popular decongestant phenylephrine is not effective, an FDA panel found.

From Scientific American • Oct. 4, 2023

The agency said that three large recent industry-funded studies evaluating medicines with phenylephrine by manufacturers found that people who took medicines with phenylephrine fared no better than those who received a placebo.

From Slate • Sep. 13, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023