lysergic acid

noun

ly·​ser·​gic acid lə-ˈsər-jik- How to pronounce lysergic acid (audio) (ˌ)lī- How to pronounce lysergic acid (audio)
: a crystalline acid C16H16N2O2 from ergotic alkaloids
also : lsd

Examples of lysergic acid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Seemingly from different universes, these two figures found a curious point of convergence via lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), the hallucinogen first synthesized in a lab in Switzerland in 1938. Paul Lindholdt, JSTOR Daily, 11 Sep. 2024 In 2024, lysergic acid diethylamide, better known as LSD, won FDA breakthrough status for treating anxiety. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 22 Oct. 2024 The compound is structurally similar to psilocybin, psilocin, dimethyltryptamine and lysergic acid diethylamide or LSD, according to the CDC. Maya Davis, CNN, 3 July 2024 Morning glory: The seeds of some morning glory species contain lysergic acid, a compound that can cause hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and dizziness if ingested in large quantities. Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 5 June 2024 Chemists at Sandoz Laboratories, in Basel, Switzerland, first synthesized an experimental compound known as lysergic acid diethylamide in 1938. Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2024 It’s created from the lysergic acid found in ergot, which is a fungus that infects rye. Stav Dimitropoulos, SELF, 29 Apr. 2021

Word History

Etymology

lysergic from lys- (in hydrolysis) + erg(ot) + -ic entry 1

Note: Word introduced by the American biochemist Walter A. Jacobs (1883-1967) and chemist Lyman C. Craig (1906-74) in "The ergot alkaloids II. The degradation of ergotinine with alkali. Lysergic acid," Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 104, no. 3 (March 1, 1934), pp. 547-51.

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lysergic acid was in 1934

Dictionary Entries Near lysergic acid

Cite this Entry

“Lysergic acid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lysergic%20acid. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

lysergic acid

noun
ly·​ser·​gic acid lə-ˌsər-jik- How to pronounce lysergic acid (audio) (ˌ)lī- How to pronounce lysergic acid (audio)
: a crystalline acid C16H16N2O2 that is an ergotic alkaloid
also : lsd

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