opium
UK /ˈəʊ.pi.əm/ · US /ˈoʊ.pi.əm/ noun
Forms opiums opia
- noun (uncountable) A yellow-brown, addictive narcotic drug obtained from the dried juice of unripe pods of the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, and containing alkaloids such as morphine, codeine, and papaverine.
- noun (by extension, countable) Anything that numbs or stupefies.
Synonyms
opiate aunti/aunti Emma big O chandu Chinese tobacco dopium dream gun dream stick fi-do-nie gee God's medicine gondola goric guma hop/hops meconium midnight oil mud ope pen yan
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin opium and Ancient Greek ὄπιον (ópion), from ὀπός (opós, “juice of a plant”), from Proto-Indo-European *sokʷós (“juice, resin”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun The inspissated juice of the Papaver somniferum, or white poppy.
Etymology [L., fr. Gr. (Chem.) Defn: The inspissated juice of the Papaver somniferum, or white poppy. Note: Opium is obtained from incisions made in the capsules of the plant, and the best flows from the first incision. It is imported into Europe and America chiefly from the Levant, and large quantities are sent to China from India, Persia, and other countries. It is of a brownish yellow color, has a faint smell, and bitter and acrid taste. It is a stimulant narcotic poison, which may produce hallicinations, profound sleep, or death. It is much used in medicine to soothe pain and inflammation, and is smoked as an intoxicant with baneful effects. Opium joint, a low resort of opium smokers. [Slang]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “opium”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details