misoprostol

M3I1S1O1P3R1O1S1T1O1L1
UK/mʌɪ.sə(ʊ)ˈpɹɒs.tɒl/US/ˌmaɪ.soʊˈpɹɑˌstɔl/

noun

A drug used for various purposes including the prevention of drug-induced gastric ulcers and the inducement of abortions, having the chemical formula C₂₂H₃₈O₅.

OriginEnglish alcohol ← Middle English alcofol ← Medieval Latin alcoho →
UncommonScrabble 15
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Meanings

nounmisoprostol (uncountable)
  1. uncountablemedicineA drug used for various purposes including the prevention of drug-induced gastric ulcers and the inducement of abortions, having the chemical formula C₂₂H₃₈O₅.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*médʰu
  2. Proto-Hellenic*métʰu
  3. Ancient Greekμέθυ (méthu)
  4. Proto-Indo-European*swel-der.?
  5. Ancient Greekῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)
  6. GermanMethy
  7. Englishm(ethyl)
  8. Ancient Greekῐ̓́σος (ĭ́sos)
  9. Englishiso-
  10. Akkadian𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕 (guḫlum)
  11. Aramaicכוחלא (kuḥlā)
  12. Arabicكُحْل (kuḥl)
  13. Andalusian Arabicكُحُول (kuḥūl)
  14. Medieval Latinalcoho
  15. Middle Englishalcofol
  16. Englishalcohol
  17. Englishmisoprostol

From m(ethyl) + iso- + -prost- (“prostaglandin”) + -ol.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French misoprostol
  • misoprostoldrug used for the prevention of drug-induced gastric ulcers and the inducement of abortions
Hungarian mizoprosztol
  • mizoprosztoldrug used for the prevention of drug-induced gastric ulcers and the inducement of abortions
Spanish misoprostol
  • misoprostoldrug used for the prevention of drug-induced gastric ulcers and the inducement of abortions
Cite this entry
APA

misoprostol. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/misoprostol

MLA

“misoprostol.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/misoprostol. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “misoprostol,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/misoprostol.

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