Meanings
plural vasoconstrictors
- medicineAny substance that causes vasoconstriction.
“Anyone have any nasal spray?” I asked. “Afrin specifically?” Afrin is basically neosynephrine, a potent vasoconstrictor, and would be ideal to put on a tissue stuffed deeply in the nose.
2019 November 16, Jay Wellons, “The Danger of Traveling Light”, in New York TimesSynonyms: vasopressor · Antonyms: vasodilator, vasodepressor
Synonyms & antonyms
More synonyms by meaning
nounany agent that causes a narrowing of an opening of a blood vessel: cold or stress or nicotine or epinephrine or norepinephrine or angiotensin or vasopressin or certain drugs; maintains or increases blood pressure
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Italic*wāss
- Latinvās
- Englishvaso-
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
- Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
- Proto-Italic*kom
- Proto-Italic*kom-
- Latincōn-
- Proto-Indo-European*streyg-
- Proto-Indo-European*strinégti
- Proto-Italic*stringō
- Proto-Indo-European*strengʰ-
- Proto-Indo-European*stréngʰeti
- Proto-Italic*strengō
- Latinstringō
- Latincōnstringō
- New Latincōnstrictor
- Latincōnstringō
- Latincōnstrictus
- Englishconstrict
- Englishconstrictor
- Englishvasoconstrictor
From vaso- + constrictor.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Icelandic æðaþrengjandi, æðaþrengir
- æðaþrengjandisubstance that causes vasoconstriction
- æðaþrengirsubstance that causes vasoconstriction
Polish wazokonstryktor
- wazokonstryktorsubstance that causes vasoconstriction
Portuguese vasoconstritor
- vasoconstritorsubstance that causes vasoconstriction
Spanish vasoconstrictor
- vasoconstrictorsubstance that causes vasoconstriction
Swedish vasokonstriktor
- vasokonstriktorsubstance that causes vasoconstriction
Cite this entry
vasoconstrictor. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vasoconstrictor
“vasoconstrictor.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vasoconstrictor. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vasoconstrictor,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vasoconstrictor.
Source: vasoconstrictor on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.