Amphetamine
/æmˈfɛtəmiːn/noun
A synthetic central-nervous-system stimulant used medically for conditions including ADHD and narcolepsy.
Did you know?Amphetamine was first synthesized in 1887, but its stimulant effects were not recognized until decades later, after which it was marketed in inhalers and medicines.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
phainein
“To bring to light, make visible, or appear; the distant root behind the phenyl element in the chemical name.”
19th Century
German/Greek-derived chemistry
Phenyl
“A chemical group derived from benzene; the name was formed from the same Greek-derived chemical naming tradition associated with appearing or becoming visible.”
1887
Romanian/German chemistry
α-Methylphenethylamine
“Lazar Edeleanu first synthesized the compound, whose structural name describes a methyl-substituted phenethylamine.”
1920s
English chemistry
Amphetamine
“A shortened form of alpha-methylphenethylamine, created as a compact chemical name.”
1930s
English
Benzedrine
“The commercial brand name under which racemic amphetamine was introduced, initially in inhalers for nasal congestion.”
Modern English
English
amphetamine
“A medically prescribed stimulant and a controlled psychoactive drug, depending on formulation and jurisdiction.”
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