noun
epinephrine
ehp-ih-NEH-frihn
noun
1
The medical name for adrenaline — a hormone released by the adrenal glands during stress that speeds up the heart and boosts energy, also used as an emergency medicine.
"Paramedics gave the patient an injection of epinephrine to restart his heart."
"People with severe allergies often carry an epinephrine auto-injector in case of anaphylaxis."
How to Use Epinephrine
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe scientific/medical term for adrenaline, the "fight or flight" hormone.
UK vs US
US medicine tends to say "epinephrine"; UK usage more often says "adrenaline" for the same substance.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
epinephrine injection
epinephrine auto-injector
Word Forms
epinephrines plural
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Paramedics gave the patient an injection of _____ to restart his heart.
Etymology
From Greek epi- ("upon") + nephrós ("kidney") + the chemical suffix -ine — literally "upon the kidney," describing where the adrenal glands sit.