aspirin

B1 Topic:Health & Medicine

US /ˈæsp(ɪ)ɹɪn/ See IPA manual

Freq #7814

Meanings

1

noun
A common drug used to reduce pain, fever, and swelling.

She took an aspirin for her headache.
2

noun
A single tablet of this drug.

He swallowed two aspirins with a glass of water.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a common drug used to... acetylsalicylic acid

Word family

Forms aspirins

Derived forms aspirinateaspirinedaspirinlikenonaspirinsuperaspirin

Related forms spiral spirea

Simplified etymology

Aspirin was coined in German in the late 19th century from acetylierte Spirsäure, meaning “acetylated salicylic acid.” The Spir element refers to Spiraea, the plant from which it originally came.

Etymology

Genericized trademark of German Aspirin, from acetylierte Spirsäure (literally “acetylated spiraeic acid”). The trade name Aspirin is a registered trademark in some countries, but has entered the English language in generic usage, as various German trademarks were nullified in the United States after World War I (see also heroin).

Aspirin German

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Health & Medicine

External links

# aspirin

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈæsp(ɪ)ɹɪn/
**Frequency rank:** 7814

## Meanings
1. A common drug used to reduce pain, fever, and swelling.
2. A single tablet of this drug.

## Examples
- She took an aspirin for her headache.
- He swallowed two aspirins with a glass of water.

## Derived Forms
- aspirinate
- aspirined
- aspirinlike
- nonaspirin
- superaspirin

## Related Forms
- spiral
- spirea

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: Aspirin

## Etymology
Genericized trademark of German Aspirin, from acetylierte Spirsäure (literally “acetylated spiraeic acid”). The trade name Aspirin is a registered trademark in some countries, but has entered the English language in generic usage, as various German trademarks were nullified in the United States after World War I (see also heroin).

## AI Etymology
Genericized trademark of German Aspirin, from acetylierte Spirsäure (literally “acetylated spiraeic acid”). The trade name Aspirin is a registered trademark in some countries, but has entered the English language in generic usage, as various German trademarks were nullified in the United States after World War I (compare heroin).

## Topics
- Health & Medicine

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