Lude
/luːd/noun
An informal noun referring to a Quaalude, a tablet containing the sedative drug methaqualone.
Did you know?“Quaalude” was a trade name derived from the phrase “quiet interlude,” giving the drug’s branding an eerily peaceful mask despite its dangers and abuse potential.
Etymological Timeline
1960s
English
Quaalude
“Trade name introduced for the sedative methaqualone, associated with the idea of a “quiet interlude””
1960s–1970s
English
lude
“Clipped informal form of Quaalude”
1970s
American English
lude
“Slang for a methaqualone tablet”
Late 20th Century
English
lude
“A recreational-drug term used in popular and countercultural speech”
Modern English
English
lude
“Informal slang for Quaalude or methaqualone”
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