redbird

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

Meaning · English

A capsule of secobarbital.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Nearly every pharmaceutical house has its own brands, sold in tablets, solutions or brightly-colored capsules, on which its “detail men” keep doctors informed. Probably the most popular successors to Veronal are Seconal (“red birds” to the bootleg trade) and Nembutal ("yellow jackets").

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 “redbird” mean?

A capsule of secobarbital.

Is “redbird” formal or informal?

redbird is generally slang.