thalidomide

noun

tha·​lid·​o·​mide thə-ˈli-də-ˌmīd How to pronounce thalidomide (audio) -məd How to pronounce thalidomide (audio)
: 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

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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.
While one form, or isomer, of thalidomide has a sedative effect, the other is thought to cause abnormal physiological development. — Sajish Mathew, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2026 The drug, thalidomide, was not approved that year or the next. — Tana Weingartner, NPR, 26 Sep. 2026 The agency’s modern-day role was defined in 1962, after thalidomide caused birth defects in thousands of babies around the world. — Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026 The scientific establishment told us that thalidomide was okay. — Will Carless, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for thalidomide

Word History

Etymology

phthalic acid + -id- (from imide) + -o- + imide

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thalidomide was in 1958

Rhymes for thalidomide

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Browse Nearby Words

thalictrum
thalidomide
thall-
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Cite this Entry

“Thalidomide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thalidomide. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Medical Definition

thalidomide

noun
tha·​lid·​o·​mide thə-ˈlid-ə-ˌmīd How to pronounce thalidomide (audio) -məd How to pronounce thalidomide (audio)
: 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formerly used chiefly in Europe during the late 1950s and early 1960s especially to treat morning sickness but was soon withdrawn after being shown to cause serious malformations (as missing or severely shortened arms and legs) in infants born to mothers using it during the first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

More from Merriam-Webster on thalidomide

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about thalidomide

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