opium
[ oh-pee-uh m ]
/ ˈoʊ pi əm /
noun
the dried, condensed juice of a poppy, Papaver somniferum, that has a narcotic, soporific, analgesic, and astringent effect and contains morphine, codeine, papaverine, and other alkaloids used in medicine in their isolated or derived forms: a narcotic substance, poisonous in large doses.
anything that causes dullness or inaction or that soothes the mind or emotions.
Origin of opium
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek
ópion poppy juice, equivalent to
op(ós) sap, juice +
-ion diminutive suffix
Words nearby opium
Example sentences from the Web for opium
British Dictionary definitions for opium
opium
/ (ˈəʊpɪəm) /
noun
the dried juice extracted from the unripe seed capsules of the opium poppy that contains alkaloids such as morphine and codeine: used in medicine as an analgesic
something having a tranquillizing or stupefying effect
Word Origin for opium
C14: from Latin: poppy juice, from Greek
opion, diminutive of
opos juice of a plant
Medical definitions for opium
opium
[ ō′pē-əm ]
n.
A bitter, yellowish-brown, strongly addictive narcotic drug prepared from the dried juice of unripe pods of the opium poppy and containing alkaloids such as morphine, codeine, and papaverine.
meconium
Scientific definitions for opium
opium
[ ō′pē-əm ]
A highly addictive, yellowish-brown drug obtained from the pods of a variety of poppy, from which other drugs, such as morphine, are prepared.