1. a white crystalline compound formerly used as a painkiller and fever reducer
Usage: medical; now banned in many countries due to kidney toxicity

Examples

• Phenacetin was once a common ingredient in over-the-counter pain medications.
• The doctor explained that phenacetin had been removed from most medicines due to safety concerns.
• Many countries banned phenacetin after studies linked it to kidney damage.
• Old medicine bottles sometimes still contain traces of phenacetin.
• Researchers studied the long-term effects of phenacetin use in the 1970s.
• The pharmaceutical company reformulated their product to remove phenacetin.