thalidomide
noun
tha·lid·o·mide
thə-ˈli-də-ˌmīd 
-məd
-məd
: a drug C13H10N2O4 that was formerly used as a sedative and is now used as an immunomodulatory agent especially in the treatment of leprosy and multiple myeloma and that is known to cause malformations of infants born to mothers using it during pregnancy
Examples of thalidomide in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
See, everybody knew that thalidomide was round and about.
—
Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2024
Just how many pregnant people might have thalidomide in their medicine cabinet?
—Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2024
The doctor noted how everyone said thalidomide was remarkably non-toxic.
—Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 19 Sep. 2024
Their mothers, on doctors’ orders, had taken thalidomide during pregnancy to stop morning sickness.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for thalidomide 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2024
Just how many pregnant people might have thalidomide in their medicine cabinet?
—Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2024
The doctor noted how everyone said thalidomide was remarkably non-toxic.
—Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 19 Sep. 2024
Their mothers, on doctors’ orders, had taken thalidomide during pregnancy to stop morning sickness.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for thalidomide
Dictionary Entries Near thalidomide
Cite this Entry
“Thalidomide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thalidomide. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
thalidomide
noun
tha·lid·o·mide
thə-ˈlid-ə-ˌmīd
-məd
-məd
: a sedative, hypnotic, and antiemetic drug C13H10N2O4 that was formerly used chiefly in Europe during the late 1950s and early 1960s especially to treat morning sickness but was soon withdrawn after being shown to cause serious malformations (as missing or severely shortened arms and legs) in infants born to mothers using it during the first trimester of pregnancy and that is now used as an immunomodulatory agent chiefly in the treatment of cutaneous complications of leprosy and in combination with dexamethasone in the treatment of multiple myeloma
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share