antihistamine

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ent- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *h₂énts Proto-Indo-European *-i Proto-Indo-European *h₂énti Ancient Greek ᾰ̓ντῐ́ (ăntĭ́) Ancient Greek ἀντι- (anti-)der. English anti- Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- Ancient Greek ῐ̔στός (hĭstós)bor. English histo- English -idine English hist(idine) Egyptian jmnbor. Ancient Greek Ᾰ̓́μμων (Ắmmōn)bor. Latin Ammōn Latin ammoniacusder. English ammonia Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Italic *-īnos Latin -īnusder. Old French -inbor. Middle English -in English -ine English amine English -amine English histamine English antihistamine From anti- + histamine.

1. A drug or substance that counteracts the effects of a histamine. Commonly used to alleviate the symptoms of hay fever and other allergies.

   “Perhaps the most striking method of demonstrating the effect of antihistamine substances is to use them to protect guinea-pigs against the action of histamine sprayed into the air from an atomizer.”