pentobarbital

noun

pen·​to·​bar·​bi·​tal ˌpen-tə-ˈbär-bə-ˌtȯl How to pronounce pentobarbital (audio)
: a granular barbiturate C11H18N2O3 used especially in the form of its sodium or calcium salt as a sedative, hypnotic, and antispasmodic

Examples of pentobarbital in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Pike remained alive after being given two massive doses of pentobarbital, the drug Tennessee uses in lethal injections. — Jeffrey Collins, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026 Florida's method is different from the single-drug injection used in states like Tennessee, where death row inmate Christa Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital and was rushed to the hospital last month. — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026 Prison staff gave Pike two doses of pentobarbital, the drug used for lethal injections. — Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026 On September 30th, the state of Tennessee bungled its attempt to kill Christa Pike, who survived two injections of pentobarbital. — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pentobarbital

Word History

Etymology

penta- + -o- + barbital

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pentobarbital was in 1931

Rhymes for pentobarbital

See All Rhymes for pentobarbital

Browse Nearby Words

Pentlatch
pentobarbital
pentobarbitone
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pentobarbital.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pentobarbital. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Medical Definition

pentobarbital

noun
pen·​to·​bar·​bi·​tal ˌpent-ə-ˈbär-bə-ˌtȯl How to pronounce pentobarbital (audio)
: a granular barbiturate used especially in the form of its sodium salt C11H17N2NaO3 or calcium salt (C11H17N2O3)2Ca as a sedative, hypnotic, and antispasmodic

More from Merriam-Webster on pentobarbital

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pentobarbital

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of reticent

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All