morphine

[ mawr-feen ]
See synonyms for morphine on Thesaurus.com
nounPharmacology.
  1. a white, bitter, crystalline alkaloid, C17H19NO3⋅H2O, the most important narcotic and addictive principle of opium, obtained by extraction and crystallization and used chiefly in medicine as a pain reliever and sedative.

Origin of morphine

1
From the German word Morphin, dating back to 1820–30. See Morpheus, -ine2
  • Also mor·phi·a [mawr-fee-uh]. /ˈmɔr fi ə/.

Other words from morphine

  • mor·phin·ic [mawr-fin-ik], /mɔrˈfɪn ɪk/, adjective

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How to use morphine in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for morphine

morphine

morphia (ˈmɔːfɪə)

/ (ˈmɔːfiːn) /


noun
  1. an alkaloid extracted from opium: used in medicine as an analgesic and sedative, although repeated use causes addiction. Formula: C 17 H 19 NO 3

Origin of morphine

1
C19: from French, from Morpheus

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for morphine

morphine

[ môrfēn′ ]


  1. A highly addictive drug derived from opium and used to treat intractable pain, as in severe injury or metastatic cancer.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for morphine

morphine

[ (mawr-feen) ]


An addictive drug derived from opium that is used as an analgesic and sedative.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.