amphetamine
/æmˈfɛt.ə.miːn/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.93 in modern English
20
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The racemic freebase of 1-phenylpropan-2-amine; an equal parts mixture of levoamphetamine and dextroamphetamine in their pure amine forms.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
Any mixture of the two amphetamine enantiomers, dextroamphetamine and levoamphetamine.
Countable; Informal; Uncountable
noun
Referring to a substituted amphetamine; a member of the amphetamine class of chemicals.
Countable; Informal; Uncountable
noun
A potent central nervous system stimulant of the phenethylamine chemical class that is used to treat ADHD, narcolepsy, and obesity.
Countable; Uncountable
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Semitic *ʔalp- Phoenician 𐤀𐤋𐤐 (ʾlp)bor. Ancient Greek ἄλφα (álpha) Proto-Semitic *bayt- Phoenician 𐤁𐤕 (bt)bor. Ancient Greek βῆτᾰ (bêtă) Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Hellenic *-os Ancient Greek -ος (-os) Ancient Greek ἀλφάβητος (alphábētos) Byzantine Greek ἀλφάβητον (alphábēton)der. Classical Latin alphabētumbor. Middle English alphabete English alphabet English alpha- Proto-Indo-European *médʰu Proto-Hellenic *métʰu Ancient Greek μέθυ (méthu) Proto-Indo-European *swel-der.? Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)der. German -yl German Methylbor. English methyl Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-né- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂nyéti Proto-Hellenic *pʰáňňō Ancient Greek φαίνω (phaínō)der. ▲ Ancient Greek φαίνω (phaínō)der. French phéno- ▲ Ancient Greek ῡ̔́λη (hū́lē)der. French -yle French phénylebor. English phenyl Ancient Greek -ο- (-o-)der. Latin -o-bor. English -o- English pheno- English phen- Proto-Indo-European *h₂eydʰ-der. Proto-Hellenic *áitʰō Ancient Greek αἴθω (aíthō) ▲ Ancient Greek ᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr)influ.? Ancient Greek αἰθήρ (aithḗr)der. Latin aethērbor. German Äther German Ether ▲ German -yl German Ethylbor. English ethyl Egyptian jmnbor. Ancient Greek Ᾰ̓́μμων (Ắmmōn)bor. Latin Ammōn Latin ammoniacusder. English ammonia Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Italic *-īnos Latin -īnusder. Old French -inbor. Middle English -in English -ine English amine English -amine English ethylamine English phenethylamine English methylphenethylamine English alpha-methylphenethylamineder. English amphetamine Shortened form of a(lpha-)m(ethyl)ph(en)et(hyl)amine.