aspirin

[as-per-in, -prin] /ˈæs pər ɪn, -prɪn/
noun, plural aspirin, aspirins.
1.
Pharmacology. a white, crystalline substance, C 9 H 8 O 4 , derivative of salicylic acid, used as an anti-inflammatory agent and to relieve the pain of headache, rheumatism, gout, neuralgia, etc.; acetylsalicylic acid.
2.
an aspirin tablet:
I took two aspirin and went right to bed.
Origin
1899; orig. German trademark, equivalent to A(cetyl) acetyl + Spir(säure) salicylic acid (see spiraea) + -in -in2
Can be confused
aspirant, aspirin.
Examples from the web for aspirin
  • The culprit appears to be a drug akin to aspirin and ibuprofen.
  • Better to take two aspirin or puff on something, not surrender a necessary sense of indignation if life is unfair.
  • Type on a flat surface for even an hour and aspirin will be mighty tempting.
  • One reviewer once complained that the desk clerk wouldn't give her a free aspirin at a luxury hotel.
  • Recognising which patients will benefit from the use of aspirin in preventing heart attacks is a case in point.
  • aspirin at a few pence per month would be a good choice.
  • There's no doubt that aspirin is something of a magic bullet.
  • Also, several of these drugs contain aspirin or acetaminophen.
  • It is a version of aspirin that does not cause internal bleeding when taken in high doses.
  • aspirin, which was already known to help people with heart disease, seems to work primarily by reducing inflammation.
British Dictionary definitions for aspirin

aspirin

/ˈæsprɪn/
noun (pl) -rin, -rins
1.
a white crystalline compound widely used in the form of tablets to relieve pain and fever, to reduce inflammation, and to prevent strokes. Formula: CH3COOC6H4COOH Chemical name acetylsalicylic acid
2.
a tablet of aspirin
Word Origin
C19: from German, from A(cetyl) + Spir(säure) spiraeic acid (modern salicylic acid) + -in; see also spiraea
Word Origin and History for aspirin
n.

coined 1899 by German chemist Heinrich Dreser (1860-1924) in German as a trademark name, from Latin Spiraea (ulmaria) "meadow-sweet," the plant in whose flowers or leaves the processed acid in the medicine is found naturally, + common chemical ending -in (see -ine (2)). The initial -a- is to acknowledge acetylation; Dreser said the word was a contraction of acetylierte spirsäure, the German name of the acid, which now is obsolete, replaced by salicylic acid.

Die Bezeichnung Aspirin ist abgeleitet aus "Spirsäure" -- alter Name der Salicylsäure und A = Acetyl; statt" Acetylirte Spirsäure, kurzweg "Aspirin". [H, Dreser, "Pharmakologisches über Aspirin (Acetylsalicylsäure)," in "Archiv für die Gesammte Physiologie des Menschen und der Thiere," 1899, p.307]
Commercial names for medicinal products began in Germany in the late 19th century, when nascent pharmaceutical firms were discovering medical uses for common, easily made chemicals. To discourage competitors they'd market the substance under a short trademarked name a doctor could remember, rather than the long chemical compound word. German law required prescriptions to be filled exactly as written.

aspirin in Medicine

aspirin as·pi·rin (ās'pər-ĭn, -prĭn)
n.
A white, crystalline compound derived from salicylic acid and commonly used to relieve pain and reduce fever and inflammation. Also called acetylsalicylic acid.

aspirin in Science
aspirin
  (ās'pər-ĭn, ās'prĭn)   
A white crystalline compound derived from salicylic acid and used in medicine to relieve fever and pain and as an anticoagulant. Also called acetylsalicylic acid. Chemical formula: C9H8O4.

Our Living Language  : Ninety percent of the population experiences at least one headache each year. The most common type is a tension headache, which is caused by stress and is characterized by tightening of the muscles in the base of the neck and along the scalp. Aspirin alleviates headaches by blocking the body's production of prostaglandins, hormones that contribute to pain by stimulating muscle contraction and blood vessel dilation. For thousands of years, people chewed the bark of willow trees to control headache and other pain. The study of the properties of this medicinal plant led German chemist Hermann Kolbe to synthesize acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), a building block of aspirin, in 1859. A pure form of ASA wasn't prepared until 1897, by Felix Hoffman, a chemist in the Bayer chemical factory in Germany. After publication of successful clinical trials, aspirin was distributed in powder form in 1899 and as a tablet in 1900. Aspirin possesses a number of properties that make it one of the most recommended drugs. Besides being an analgesic, or pain reliever, it also reduces inflammation that often accompanies injuries or diseases, such as arthritis. It is also an antipyretic compound, or fever reducer. Aspirin is the only over-the-counter analgesic approved for prevention of cardiovascular disease. New research suggests that aspirin may also decrease the risk of some forms of stroke. Additional studies indicate that aspirin may play a role in reducing the risks of ovarian cancer.
aspirin in Technology
language, tool
A freeware language from MITRE Corporation for the description of neural networks. A compiler, bpmake, is included. Aspirin is designed for use with the MIGRAINES interface.
Version: 6.0, as of 1995-03-08.
(ftp://ftp.cognet.ucla.edu/alexis/).
(1995-03-08)