Skip to main content
blocking agent

blocking agent

1 5.8
A medicine that stops or reduces a body process, for example a hormone action
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : agente bloqueador
  • In her presentation, she highlighted the effectiveness of the new blocking agent in managing symptoms of certain diseases.
  • neuromuscular blocking agent

Examples

  • Patients receiving a neuromuscular blocking agent must be monitored closely due to their inability to breathe independently.

  • It's a neuromuscular blocking agent, it's a paralytic, it takes days to wear off.

  • Anesthesiologists must avoid using neuromuscular blocking agents in patients during nerve dissection.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Risk ratios are also presented for adjustment for baseline treatment with calcium-channel blockers and/or beta-blocking agents, by use of the Mantel-Haenszel statistic.

    Academic text (1995)
  • The doctor explained that a neuromuscular blocking agent is used during surgery to induce paralysis.

Synonyms

inhibitor
vsblocking agent
  • Specialized
46 6.0

A substance that slows down and can stop chemical reactions in the body or in a lab

focuses on actively stopping a specific process rather than only slowing it
blocker
vsblocking agent
  • Specialized
19 6.0

A medicine that stops a chemical in the body from working to treat health problems

is the same meaning but expressed in a more formal phrase
antagonist
vsblocking agent
  • Specialized
4 7.3

A substance that blocks or reduces another substance's effect, for example a medicine

targets the biological process itself rather than opposing another substance
calcium blocker
vsblocking agent
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A drug that reduces calcium entering heart and blood vessel muscles to treat high blood pressure and chest pain

is broader and applies to any prevented biological process, not only ion movement
neuromuscular blocking agent
vsblocking agent
  • Specialized
1 5.9

A drug that stops nerve signals to muscles and makes them relax or stop moving

deals with any specific biological process rather than only nerve muscle signals
antienzyme
vsblocking agent
  • Specialized
7.9

A substance that stops or slows enzymes so they do not work

is broader, applying to any prevented biological process not only protein action
beta-blocking agent
vsblocking agent
  • Specialized
5.5

A medicine that slows the heart and lowers blood pressure

is a general substance type not limited to heart effects or specific receptors
beta-adrenergic blocking agent
vsblocking agent
  • Specialized
6.0

A drug that treats high blood pressure and fast heartbeat by slowing the heart

is the broader category for many biological targets, not only heart receptor effects
alpha-adrenergic blocking agent
vsblocking agent
  • Specialized
7.5

A medicine that relaxes blood vessel and bladder muscles to lower blood pressure and help pass urine

applies to any prevented biological process rather than specifically easing urinary muscle tension
histamine blocker
vsblocking agent
  • Specialized
4.0

A medicine that reduces stomach acid to treat ulcers and heartburn

applies to any prevented biological process rather than only stomach acid control

Antonyms

activator
  • Specialized
1 6.3

A substance that increases enzyme activity or makes genes produce more protein

How Potent

blocker
  • Specialized
19 6.0
blocking agent
  • Specialized
1 5.8
inhibitor
  • Specialized
46 6.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

block + agent

The meaning is directly derivable from 'block' (to stop or obstruct) combined with 'agent' (a thing or substance that causes an effect): a thing that blocks. The participial modifier pattern (blocking + agent) is a common, compositional noun phrase cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the intended biomedical sense.

Etymology

Blocking agent The term blocking agent comes from a simple image: imagine a guard or plug that does the blocking, and an agent is the thing doing it. So, in medicine a blocking agent is a drug or substance that 'stops' or 'reduces' a specific process in the body.