opium
o-pi-um · noun
Definitions
noun
- 1.
A highly addictive narcotic drug derived from the juice of the opium poppy, used historically as a painkiller and sedative.
- 2.
Something that induces a false sense of well-being or contentment.
Phrases & expressions
- •opium of the masses/people — something that distracts people from their real situation (from Karl Marx)
- •opium den — a place where opium was smoked, especially in the 19th century
- •Opium Wars — 19th-century conflicts between China and Western powers over the opium trade
Related words
Synonyms: poppy extract
Etymology
From Latin opium, from Greek opion ("poppy juice"), diminutive of opos ("vegetable juice").