thalidomide

1. (pharmacology) A drug sold during the late 1950s and early 1960s as a sleeping aid, and to pregnant women as an antiemetic to combat morning sickness and other symptoms, but withdrawn as causing severe birth defects, such as phocomelia; currently used to treat leprosy.Examples: "I have tried all the medium and short acting non-barbiturate sedatives since the war (including thalidomide) but they don’t work and I don’t trust the newfangled long acting, “safe” analgesics."; "I can't stand to see your thalidomide robot face"Synonyms: --(2,6-dioxopiperidin-3-yl)-1H-isoindole-1, 3(2H)dione — C13H10N2O4countableuncountable