epipen

nounC1Very rare — outside the 30,000 commonest English words, so you will meet it in writing rather than in speechleans spoken

Other forms: epipens

An epipen is an injector carried against a severe allergic reaction. Carry an epipen.

It is used into the outer thigh and works through clothing, which is why the design is so simple. Anybody using an epipen still needs an ambulance, since the effect wears off.

Definitions of epipen

1nounepipenAn injector carried against a severe allergic reaction.C1
“The epipen in her bag had expired six months earlier.”

epipen is a device.

Where it comes from

From the trademark EpiPen, a blend of epinephrine and pen, from the pen-shaped device.

Genericization of the trademark EpiPen, presumably a epinephrine and pen, from being a pen-sized device used to inject epinephrine.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

← Vocabulary

epipen

nounC1Very rare — outside the 30,000 commonest English words, so you will meet it in writing rather than in speechleans spoken

Other forms: epipens

An epipen is an injector carried against a severe allergic reaction. Carry an epipen.

It is used into the outer thigh and works through clothing, which is why the design is so simple. Anybody using an epipen still needs an ambulance, since the effect wears off.

Definitions of epipen

1nounepipenAn injector carried against a severe allergic reaction.C1
“The epipen in her bag had expired six months earlier.”

epipen is a device.

Where it comes from

From the trademark EpiPen, a blend of epinephrine and pen, from the pen-shaped device.

Genericization of the trademark EpiPen, presumably a epinephrine and pen, from being a pen-sized device used to inject epinephrine.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA