cimetidine

C3I1M3E1T1I1D2I1N1E1
/saɪˈmɛt.ɪ.diːn/

noun

A histamine H₂-receptor antagonist that inhibits the production of acid in the stomach, mainly used to treat heartburn and peptic ulcers, but notorious for causing male impotence. It is a histamine analog, a sulfur-containing derivative of imidazole.

Similar
Tagamet
UncommonScrabble 15
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Meanings

nouncimetidine (countable and uncountable, plural cimetidines)

plural cimetidines

  1. countableuncountablemedicineA histamine H₂-receptor antagonist that inhibits the production of acid in the stomach, mainly used to treat heartburn and peptic ulcers, but notorious for causing male impotence. It is a histamine analog, a sulfur-containing derivative of imidazole.

    Until Tagamet (cimetidine), most major drug companies didn't take tummy troubles terribly seriously.

    1985, Joe Graedon, Teresa Graedon, The New People's Pharmacy: Drug Breakthroughs for the '80s, Bantam, →ISBN, page 134

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna drug (trade name Tagamet) used to treat peptic ulcers by decreasing the secretion of stomach acid

Similar
Tagamet
Broader
histamine blockerantacidgastric antacidalkalizer

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From cy(ano)- + meth- + (guan)idine.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

cimetidine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cimetidine

MLA

“cimetidine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cimetidine. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cimetidine,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cimetidine.

Source: cimetidine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.