aspirin
UK[ˈæsprɪn]US[ˈæspərɪn]
n
A common drug used to reduce pain, fever, and inflammation.
Etymology
The name 'Aspirin' was coined in 1899 by the German pharmaceutical company Bayer. It is a constructed term, blending the chemical prefix 'a-' for acetyl, with 'spir' extracted from Spiraea ulmaria (the old botanical name for meadowsweet), and appending the common drug suffix '-in'. The choice of Spiraea connected the new synthetic drug to the traditional use of willow bark and meadowsweet, plants known for their pain-relieving properties due to salicylic acid. Thus, the word's logic ties modern laboratory synthesis directly to its ancient botanical origins, evolving from a specific trademark into a universal common noun for the substance.
Analysis
The word is a trademark turned generic term, derived from the chemical name 'acetylsalicylic acid'. Its core component 'spir-' is taken from 'Spiraea', the genus name of plants (like meadowsweet) which are a natural source of salicylic acid.
Examples
She took an aspirin to relieve her headache.
Doctors sometimes recommend a low daily dose of aspirin for heart health.
The chemical compound was later identified and marketed as aspirin.