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sleeping pill
noun
: a drug and especially a barbiturate that is taken as a tablet or capsule to induce sleep
Examples of sleeping pill in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Instead, doctors treated individual symptoms, prescribing headache medicine, antidepressants and sleeping pills.
—Dave Philipps, New York Times, 2 May 2024
Some even use sleeping pills to battle insomnia and sleep deprivation.
—Carol Lee, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Frequently Asked Questions Which sleeping pills work immediately?
—Sayaka Blickenderfer, Health, 16 Mar. 2024
Types Taking sleeping pills may help with sleeping problems.
—Sayaka Blickenderfer, Health, 16 Mar. 2024
The real-life Ann Woodward committed suicide on October 10, 1975, overdosing on sleeping pills in her New York City apartment.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2024
She’s also endured her share of troubles, including an overdose on aspirin and sleeping pills in 2010 that put her in the hospital, as well as in the tabloids.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 14 Nov. 2023
Jabbari later returned to Majors’ apartment and called him multiple times – 32, according to Chaudhry – before taking two sleeping pills.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 4 Dec. 2023
Just two years later, amid a battle with depression and intense public scrutiny, Barrino tried to take her own life by swallowing sleeping pills and aspirin.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sleeping pill.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1664, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near sleeping pill
Cite this Entry
“Sleeping pill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleeping%20pill. Accessed 21 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
sleeping pill
noun
: a drug that is taken as a tablet or capsule to bring on sleep
Medical Definition
sleeping pill
noun
: a drug and especially a barbiturate that is taken as a tablet or capsule to induce sleep
called also sleeping tablet
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