depressantadj.n.
Medicine.
A. adj.
a. Having the quality of lowering the activity of the vital functions; sedative.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > sedatives, antispasmodics, etc. > [adjective] > sedative, narcotic, or hypnotic
stupefactive?a1425
sedativec1425
narcotic1526
opiate1543
narcotical1587
soporiferous1601
hypnotic1625
soporative1629
pacative1664
opiative1674
opiatic1678
thebaic1746
soporific1775
narcotico-acrid1815
depressant1887
opiumy1891
1887 Athenæum 13 Aug. 217/1 The depressant and narcotic action.
1892 N. Moore in Dict. National Biogr. XXIX. 221/1 The depressant treatment of fever.
b. In ore and froth flotation: having the property of a depressant (sense B. c).
ΚΠ
1945 A. F. Taggart Handbk. Mineral Dressing xii. 32 Lime..present in excess in sulphide flotation..has a definite depressant effect on the copper sulphides other than chalcopyrite.
1959 Chambers's Encycl. X. 235/2 Alkalis are generally depressant in action on all sulphide flotations, preventing the collectors from working.
B. n.
a. A medicine or agent having this quality; a sedative.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines for specific purpose > sedatives, antispasmodics, etc. > [noun] > sedative
sedative1797
depressant1876
psycholeptic1961
1876 S. W. Gross Gross's Pract. Treat. Dis. Bladder (ed. 3) i. ix. 267 The heart's action is reduced with aconite and other depressants.
1890 Standard 19 Nov. 3/6 Malaria and heat are remarkable depressants.
b. Also depressent. A depressing influence.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > motivation > demotivation > [noun] > discouraging action or quality > a discouraging influence
discouragement1574
disheartening1619
cold shower1875
depressant1894
disincentive1946
chilling effect1951
1894 R. L. Stevenson & L. Osbourne Ebb-tide i. v. 87 So strong a tonic to the merely weak, and so deadly a depressent to the merely cowardly.
1923 R. Kipling Irish Guards in Great War I. 121 There are times when Extreme Unction can be a depressant.
1961 Times 22 Mar. 18/3 To the ambitious athlete there is really no reason why standards should not be an incentive rather than a depressant.
c. In ore and froth flotation, an agent that causes certain of the solids to sink while not affecting the others.
ΚΠ
1934 Webster's New Internat. Dict. Eng. Lang. Depressant..Ore Dressing, a reagent that depresses.
1939 A. M. Gaudin Princ. Mineral Dressing xv. 393 Practical depressants for sulphide flotation include alkali hydroxides.
1951 Engineering 19 Oct. 492/1 Agents, known as depressants, are..used to promote wetting of..constituents, such as pyrites, which would otherwise float with the coal.
1962 Gloss. Terms Coal Preparation (B.S.I.) 24 Depressant, a substance which when added to a pulp prevents a particular mineral or minerals from floating.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1895; most recently modified version published online June 2018).
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adj.n.1876