ketamine
noun
ke·ta·mine
| \ ˈkē-tə-ˌmēn
, ˈke-\
, ˈke-\
Definition of ketamine
: a general anesthetic that is administered intravenously and intramuscularly in the form of its hydrochloride C13H16ClNO·HCl and that is used illicitly usually by being inhaled in powdered form especially for the dreamlike or hallucinogenic state it produces
Note: Ketamine is also called Special K when used as a recreational drug
Examples of ketamine in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Patients will be hooked up to an IV line to receive the ketamine. — Jane Stueckemann, Houston Chronicle, "The Woodlands gets first ketamine infusion center to treat depression," 9 July 2019 That effectively changed in March, when the Food and Drug Administration approved a ketamine cousin called esketamine, taken as a nasal spray, for patients with intractable depression. — NBC News, "Caution urged over use of fast-acting version of ketamine for depression," 11 June 2019 Her finding also engendered hope that ketamine, a drug that targets glutamate, might help people in that group. — Emily Underwood, Science | AAAS, "Brain scans could help personalize treatment for people who are depressed or suicidal," 20 Aug. 2019 Praag said the ketamine infusion process helps the brain to reconnect and rebuild connections. — Chevall Pryce, Houston Chronicle, "Spring Center of Hope discusses possible effects of ketamine on mood," 22 July 2019 Cocaine is ubiquitous, and ketamine widespread, among Suffolk river shrimp. — Rafil Kroll-zaidi, Harper's magazine, "Findings," 24 June 2019 Like ketamine, the drug often causes out-of-body sensations and hallucinations. — New York Times, "Veterans Agency to Offer New Depression Drug, Despite Cost and Safety Concerns," 21 June 2019 Shortly after the Order of the Dolphin meeting, Lilly began using ketamine and LSD (legal at the time) as part of his research on brain function. — John Wenz, Discover Magazine, "The Secret Origins of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence," 11 Feb. 2019 The boys had never scuba dived before, and to keep them from panicking in the dark, murky water, an anesthesiologist gave them ketamine and valium. — Brian Resnick, Vox, "10 science stories in 2018 that made us go, “Whoa, that’s awesome”," 18 Dec. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ketamine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for ketamine
ketamine
noun
ke·ta·mine
| \ ˈkēt-ə-ˌmēn
\
\
Medical Definition of ketamine
: a general anesthetic that is administered intravenously or intramuscularly in the form of its hydrochloride C13H16ClNO·HCl and that is used illicitly usually by being inhaled in powdered form especially for the dreamlike or hallucinogenic state it produces — see special k