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Glite Dictionary
red devil

red devil

9.9
A strong sleeping drug used to calm people or stop seizures
  • noun
  • /rɛd ˈdɛvəl/
  • NSFW
translation icon : red devil
  • She was given a dose of red devil to calm her before the procedure.

Examples

  • The doctor warned him about the risks of taking red devil without a prescription.

  • In the 1960s, red devil was sometimes misused as a recreational drug.

  • The doctor prescribed a red devil for her anxiety.

  • Many patients have used red devils for sedation.

  • In the 1960s, red devil was sometimes misused as a recreational drug.

  • She was given a dose of red devil to calm her before the procedure.

  • The doctor warned him about the risks of taking red devil without a prescription.

Synonyms

Seconal
vsred devil
  • NSFW
6 9.7

A strong drug used to make people sleep and to treat seizures

is the same drug expressed as a nontechnical or slang name
secobarbital
vsred devil
  • Specialized
1 9.8

A medicine that makes you sleep and can control seizures

is presented as a brand, informal, or salt form rather than the pure chemical
secobarbital sodium
vsred devil
  • Specialized
8.9

A strong medicine that makes people sleep and stops seizures

is the drug named by brand or common term rather than chemical salt form

Surface Forms

red devil singular
red devils plural

Morphology

red + devil

The compound is a conventional name for a specific barbiturate trade product, and the literal constituents 'red' (a color/figurative blood sense) and 'devil' (a supernatural being) do not indicate a sedative drug. This is specialized, culturally/medically specific vocabulary that a B1 learner who knows the parts would not be able to derive without prior exposure or domain knowledge.

Etymology

Red devil got its nickname from the pill's bright red colour and its very strong, dangerous effect like a devil. Because it could quickly 'calm' or knock people out, the name came to mean this powerful sleeping drug.