varenicline

V4A1R1E1N1I1C3L1I1N1E1
US/vəˈɹɛn.ɪk.lɪn/

noun

A drug taken orally in the form of its tartrate C₁₃H₁₃N₃·C₄H₆O₆ as an aid to stop smoking. It binds to nicotinic cell receptors to block the activity of nicotine while also acting as an agonist to reduce nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It is marketed under the trademark Chantix.

Scrabble 16
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Meanings

nounvarenicline (uncountable)
  1. uncountablemedicineA drug taken orally in the form of its tartrate C₁₃H₁₃N₃·C₄H₆O₆ as an aid to stop smoking. It binds to nicotinic cell receptors to block the activity of nicotine while also acting as an agonist to reduce nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It is marketed under the trademark Chantix.

    Farewell Zyban, hello Champix, Pfizer's name for a new compound called varenicline, which is not an anti-depressant but a ‘nicotine receptor partial agonist’.

    2010, Stephen Fry, The Fry Chronicles

Origin

From vare- (of unknown origin) + -nicline (“nicotinic cholinergic receptor agonist”).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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