Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

laetrile

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.40 in modern English

Syllables
laetrile
IPA
8
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
1
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A drug, derived from the amygdalin of apricot kernels, once thought capable of destroying cancer cells by the release of cyanide but later banned in the United States by the FDA.

Countable; Uncountable

Etymology

A contraction of l-mandelonitrile, from Ancient Greek ἀμυγδάλη (amugdálē, “almond”) + -o- + nitrile.

Usage

Inflected Forms

laetriles (plural)

Synonyms

vitamin B17

Questions

What does laetrile mean?
A drug, derived from the amygdalin of apricot kernels, once thought capable of destroying cancer cells by the release of cyanide but later banned in the United States by the FDA.
Where does laetrile come from?
A contraction of l-mandelonitrile, from Ancient Greek ἀμυγδάλη (amugdálē, “almond”) + -o- + nitrile.

How to pronounce laetrile

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  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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