DOWNER (downer)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: downer   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does downer mean? 

• DOWNER (noun)
  The noun DOWNER has 1 sense:

1. a drug that reduces excitability and calms a person

  Familiarity information: DOWNER used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DOWNER (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A drug that reduces excitability and calms a person

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

depressant; downer; sedative; sedative drug

Hypernyms ("downer" is a kind of...):

drug of abuse; street drug (a drug that is taken for nonmedicinal reasons (usually for mind-altering effects); drug abuse can lead to physical and mental damage and (with some substances) dependence and addiction)

medicament; medication; medicinal drug; medicine ((medicine) something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "downer"):

chloral hydrate (a colorless crystalline drug used as a sedative; irritates the stomach and can be addictive)

Doriden; glutethimide (sedative (trade name Doriden) used to treat some sleep disorders)

sedative-hypnotic; sedative-hypnotic drug (a sedative that depresses activity of the central nervous system and reduces anxiety and induces sleep)

Derivation:

down (cause to come or go down)