thalidomide

UK: /θəˈlɪdəmaɪd/ US: (thə lid′ə mīd′)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

tha•lid•o•mide  (thə lid′ə mīd′), n. 

1. Drugs a crystalline, slightly water-soluble solid, C₁₃H₁₀N₂O₄, formerly used as a sedative: if taken during pregnancy, it may cause severe abnormalities in the limbs of the fetus.

• (ph)thal(im) ido(glutari)mide=phthalimide(phthal(ic) + imide) + -o- + glutarimide (glut(en) + (tart)ar(ic) + imide) 1955–60

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

thalidomide / θəˈlɪdəˌmaɪd/ noun

1. a synthetic drug formerly used as a sedative and hypnotic but withdrawn from the market when found to cause abnormalities in developing fetuses. Formula: C₁₃H₁₀N₂O₄

Etymology: 20th Century: from thallic + -id- (from imide) + imide