Meanings
plural thalidomides · alternative phthalidomide
- countableuncountablemedicineAn immunomodulatory drug used to treat a number of cancers and skin disorders, historically promoted as a sedative and medication for morning sickness.
I can't stand to see your thalidomide robot face
2001, “Left Behind”, in Corey Taylor (lyrics), Iowa, performed by Slipknot, Los Angeles, California1 more example
I have tried all the medium and short acting non-barbiturate sedatives since the war (including thalidomide) but they don’t work and I don’t trust the newfangled long acting, “safe” analgesics.
1988, E[dward] J[ames] Moran Campbell, Not Always on the Level, [London]: British Medical Journal, →ISBN, page 194
Origin
- English(ph)thal(ic acid)
- English(im)ido
- Egyptianjmn
- Ancient GreekᾸ̓́μμων (Ắmmōn)
- LatinAmmōn
- Latinammoniacus
- Englishammonia
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
- Englishamide
- English(i)mide
- Englishthalidomide
From (ph)thal(ic acid) + (im)ido + (i)mide. The chemical was synthesized and marketed in the 1950s.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 反應停 /反应停
- 反應停 /反应停drug
Esperanto talidomido
- talidomidodrug
Finnish talidomidi
- talidomididrug
French thalidomide
- thalidomidedrug
German Thalidomid, Contergan
- Thalidomiddrug
- Contergandrug
Greek θαλιδομίδη
- θαλιδομίδη (thalidomídi)drug
Portuguese talidomida
- talidomidadrug
Russian талидоми́д
- талидоми́д (talidomíd)drug
Cite this entry
thalidomide. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thalidomide
“thalidomide.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thalidomide. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “thalidomide,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thalidomide.
Source: thalidomide on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.