| Noun | 1. | vasoconstrictor - any agent that causes a narrowing of an opening of a blood vessel: cold or stress or nicotine or epinephrine or norepinephrine or angiotensin or vasopressin or certain drugs; maintains or increases blood pressure adrenergic, adrenergic drug - drug that has the effects of epinephrine angiotensin, angiotonin, Hypertensin - any of several vasoconstrictor substances (trade name Hypertensin) that cause narrowing of blood vessels lypressin - an antidiuretic and vasoconstrictor used to treat diabetes insipidus naphazoline, Privine, Sudafed - vasoconstrictor (trade names Privine and Sudafed) used in nasal sprays to treat symptoms of nasal congestion and in eyedrops to treat eye irritation vasopressor - any agent that produces vasoconstriction and a rise in blood pressure (usually understood as increased arterial pressure) low temperature, cold, frigidity, frigidness, coldness - the absence of heat; "the coldness made our breath visible"; "come in out of the cold"; "cold is a vasoconstrictor" noradrenaline, norepinephrine - a catecholamine precursor of epinephrine that is secreted by the adrenal medulla and also released at synapses Adrenalin, adrenaline, epinephrin, epinephrine - a catecholamine secreted by the adrenal medulla in response to stress (trade name Adrenalin); stimulates autonomic nerve action ADH, antidiuretic hormone, Pitressin, vasopressin - hormone secreted by the posterior pituitary gland (trade name Pitressin) and also by nerve endings in the hypothalamus; affects blood pressure by stimulating capillary muscles and reduces urine flow by affecting reabsorption of water by kidney tubules agent - an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect; "their research uncovered new disease agents" nicotine - an alkaloid poison that occurs in tobacco; used in medicine and as an insecticide |