diethylbarbituric acid, C8H12N2O3, a drug in the form of a white powder, used as a hypnotic and sedative: it is habit-forming and toxic
Word origin
barbituric acid + -al
barbital in American English
(ˈbɑːrbɪˌtɔl, -ˌtæl)
noun
Pharmacology
a barbiturate compound, C7O3N2H12, formerly used as a hypnotic
Word origin
[1915–20; barbit(uric acid) + (veron)al]This word is first recorded in the period 1915–20. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: conditioning, costar, decoder, soviet, stockpile