antistimulant
|an-ti-stim-u-lant|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.tiˈstɪm.jə.lənt/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tiˈstɪm.jʊ.lənt/
against stimulation / counteracting stimulants
Etymology
'antistimulant' originates from Modern English, formed by the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti' meaning 'against') plus 'stimulant' (from Latin 'stimulare' meaning 'to goad or incite').
'stimulant' traces back to Latin 'stimulare' → Late Latin/Old French forms → Middle English 'stimulant'; the prefix 'anti-' entered English via Greek through Latin/Old French; the compound 'antistimulant' arose in English in medical/technical contexts in the 19th–20th century.
Originally composed to mean 'against stimulation' in a literal sense; over time it has been used specifically in pharmacology and physiology to denote agents or properties that counteract stimulants or reduce stimulation.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a substance or agent that counteracts, reduces, or blocks the effects of a stimulant (a drug or other agent that increases physiological or nervous activity).
The new compound was tested as an antistimulant to see whether it could reduce overdose effects from stimulants.
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Adjective 1
describing a property, effect, or agent that reduces or opposes stimulation.
Researchers noted the antistimulant properties of the drug in animal studies.
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Last updated: 2025/09/10 20:24