What does tranquilizer mean?
A tranquilizer is a substance or agent that produces a calming or sedating effect, most commonly referring to a medication given to reduce anxiety, agitation, or nervous activity. In veterinary and medical contexts, the word describes drugs or chemicals that help people or animals become calmer. It can also refer to a chemical projectile intended to incapacitate a person or animal temporarily rather than kill it, as in a tranquilizer gun or dart. The word is generally formal and technical, with a clinical tone in medicine and a specialized law-enforcement or animal-control tone in other settings. Tranquilizer derives from the idea of tranquillity and belongs to a family including tranquil, tranquility, and tranquilize. Because it can describe both medicines and devices associated with force, its meaning depends heavily on context.
nounA substance or agent that induces calm or reduced activity, especially a sedative drug. By extension, it can refer to a chemical projectile or similar device intended to incapacitate rather than kill.
- A sedative drug or chemical substance used to produce calm, relaxation, or reduced nervous activity.
- A chemical agent or projectile designed to incapacitate a person or animal temporarily, rather than cause death.
"The veterinarian administered a mild tranquilizer to calm the frightened dog."
"The veterinarian administered a mild tranquilizer to calm the frightened dog."
"The officer used a tranquilizer dart during the animal-control operation."
The plural is used when referring to more than one tranquilizer, as in a supply of sedatives or chemical devices.
"The clinic keeps emergency tranquilizers in a secured medical cabinet."
A word for a calming drug, a calming chemical, and even the dart that delivers one: tranquilizer stretches the language of medicine into the language of force.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tranquilizer come from?
Tranquilizer is an English formation built from tranquil and the suffix -izer, meaning “one that makes tranquil.” Tranquil comes through French tranquille from Latin tranquillus, “calm” or “undisturbed.” Related English forms include tranquility and tranquilize, while the compound is especially associated with substances that calm or sedate.
Related word forms
How tranquilizer is actually used
The term is formal and chiefly clinical or technical. In law-enforcement and animal-control contexts, it can have a specialized meaning involving temporary incapacitation.