thalidomide: Meaning and Definition of

tha•lid•o•mide

Pronunciation: (thu-lid'u-mīd", tha-), [key]
— n. Pharm.
  1. a crystalline, slightly water-soluble solid, CHNO, formerly used as a tranquilizer, sedative, or hypnotic: it was discovered that when taken during pregnancy it affects normal growth of the fetus and results in abnormally shortened limbs of the newborn.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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