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phenytoin

[ fen-i-toh-in, fuh-nit-oh- ]
/ ˌfɛn ɪˈtoʊ ɪn, fəˈnɪt oʊ- /

noun Pharmacology.

a barbiturate-related substance, C15H12N2O2, used as an anticonvulsant in the treatment of grand mal epilepsy and in focal seizures.

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Origin of phenytoin

1940–45; (di)pheny(lhydan)toin, its full chemical name; see di-1, phenyl, hydantoin

Words nearby phenytoin

phenylpropyl acetate, phenylpyruvic oligophrenia, phenylthiocarbamide, phenylthiourea, phenyl valerate, phenytoin, pheo-, pheochrome, pheochromocyte, pheochromocytoma, pheon
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for phenytoin

phenytoin
/ (ˌfɛnɪˈtəʊɪn) /

noun

an anticonvulsant drug used in the management of epilepsy and in the treatment of abnormal heart rhythms. Formula: C 15 H 11 N 2 O 2 NaAlso called: diphenylhydantoin sodium

Word Origin for phenytoin

C20: from (di) pheny (lhydan) toin
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

Medical definitions for phenytoin

phenytoin
[ fĕn′ĭ-tō′ĭn, fə-nĭt′ō- ]

n.

An anticonvulsant drug chemically related to the barbiturates and used most commonly in the treatment of epilepsy.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.