Bromide
/ˈbroʊmaɪd/noun
A chemical compound containing bromine, or a commonplace and unoriginal remark.
Did you know?Bromide salts were once prescribed as sedatives and anticonvulsants before “bromide” became a metaphor for emotionally numbing, predictable speech.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
βρῶμος (brômos)
“Stench or foul odor”
19th Century
English
bromine
“A chemical element named for its intensely unpleasant odor”
19th Century
English
bromide
“A compound containing bromine, formed with the chemical suffix -ide”
19th Century
English
bromide
“A bromine salt, especially one used medicinally as a sedative”
1900s
English
bromide
“A conventional, unoriginal statement or idea—figuratively something mentally dulling”