valium
valium — noun
1. a well-known prescription medication, sold under the brand name Valium, that doc
a well-known prescription medication, sold under the brand name Valium, that doctors use to reduce anxiety, relax muscles, or help people sleep, or a tablet of this drug
Ilan was prescribed Valium to help him sleep the night before the surgery.
passive: be prescribed Valium
Adisa kept a single Valium tablet in her purse for emergencies only.
countable: a Valium tablet
Karim's doctor warned him not to drink alcohol while he was on Valium.
When Mira's panic attacks returned, the clinic prescribed her a low dose of Valium.
- diazepam
the official generic (chemical) name for the active ingredient in Valium; used mainly by medical professionals and on prescription labels
- tranquilizer
a broad category of calming drugs that includes Valium as one example; less precise and somewhat old-fashioned
- benzodiazepine
the drug class that Valium belongs to, along with Xanax and Ativan; describes the chemical family rather than the specific brand
- sedative
a general term for any drug that induces calmness or sleep; broader than Valium and includes non-benzodiazepine options
- stimulant
a drug that increases energy and alertness, producing the opposite effect of Valium
用法筆記
Valium is a trademarked brand name owned by Roche Pharmaceuticals, but in everyday language it is often used to refer to any diazepam medication. Usually uncountable when referring to the drug generally ('on Valium'), though countable uses for individual tablets are common ('a Valium'). A prescription is required in most countries.