purple heart

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

A drinamyl tablet when taken recreationally, popular in the 1960s.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Detective Peter Goodall said the source of the tablets had not been traced. "Purple heart" or drinamyl tablets, were a stimulant drug and habit-forming.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “purple heart” mean?

A drinamyl tablet when taken recreationally, popular in the 1960s.

Is “purple heart” formal or informal?

purple heart is generally slang.