pseudoephedrine

P3S1E1U1D2O1E1P3H4E1D2R1I1N1E1
UK/sjuː.dəʊˈɛf.ə.dɹiːn/US/su.doʊ.ɪˈfɛ.dɹɪn/

noun

A sympathomimetic alkaloid commonly used as a decongestant; a chemical compound, an isomer of ephedrine, with the formula C₁₀H₁₅NO.

OriginEnglish ephedrine ← Middle English pseudo- ← Ancient Greek ψευδής (pseudḗs) →
Less commonScrabble 24
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Meanings

nounpseudoephedrine (countable and uncountable, plural pseudoephedrines)

plural pseudoephedrines

  1. countableuncountablemedicineA sympathomimetic alkaloid commonly used as a decongestant; a chemical compound, an isomer of ephedrine, with the formula C₁₀H₁₅NO.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekψεύδω (pseúdō)
  2. Ancient Greekψευδής (pseudḗs)
  3. Middle Englishpseudo-
  4. Englishpseudo-
  5. Englishephedra
  6. Englishephedrine
  7. Englishpseudoephedrine

From pseudo- + ephedrine.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan pseudoefedrina
  • pseudoefedrinasympathomimetic alkaloid
Chinese Mandarin 偽麻黃鹼 /伪麻黄碱
  • 偽麻黃鹼 /伪麻黄碱 (wěimáhuángjiǎn)sympathomimetic alkaloid
Czech pseudoefedrin
  • pseudoefedrinsympathomimetic alkaloid
Dutch pseudo-efedrine
  • pseudo-efedrinesympathomimetic alkaloid
Finnish pseudoefedriini
  • pseudoefedriinisympathomimetic alkaloid
French pseudoéphédrine
  • pseudoéphédrinesympathomimetic alkaloid
German Pseudoephedrin
  • Pseudoephedrinsympathomimetic alkaloid
Hungarian pszeudoefedrin
  • pszeudoefedrinsympathomimetic alkaloid
Irish súideifidrín
  • súideifidrínsympathomimetic alkaloid
Italian pseudoefedrina
  • pseudoefedrinasympathomimetic alkaloid
Norwegian pseudoefedrin
  • pseudoefedrinsympathomimetic alkaloid
Polish pseudoefedryna
  • pseudoefedrynasympathomimetic alkaloid
Portuguese pseudoefedrina
  • pseudoefedrinasympathomimetic alkaloid
Russian псевдоэфедри́н
  • псевдоэфедри́н (psevdoefedrín)sympathomimetic alkaloid
Spanish pseudoefedrina, seudoefedrina
  • pseudoefedrinasympathomimetic alkaloid
  • seudoefedrinasympathomimetic alkaloid
Swedish pseudoefedrin
  • pseudoefedrinsympathomimetic alkaloid
Cite this entry
APA

pseudoephedrine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pseudoephedrine

MLA

“pseudoephedrine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pseudoephedrine. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pseudoephedrine,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pseudoephedrine.

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