Pentobarbital is a short-acting barbiturate primarily used as a sedative and hypnotic medication. It is also used as an anesthetic agent in some veterinary settings. Synonyms for this drug include Nembutal, pentobarbitone, and pentobarbiturate. Nembutal is a brand name for pentobarbital, while pentobarbitone and pentobarbiturate are alternative spellings for the same drug. Other synonyms for pentobarbital include Mebaral and Butisol. While these drugs may have slightly different chemical structures, they are all considered to be barbiturates and will produce similar effects when used medicinally. It is important to use these drugs only under the supervision of a licensed healthcare provider.