narcotic

[nahr-kot-ik]

noun

1. any of a class of substances that blunt the senses, as opium, morphine, belladonna, marijuana, and alcohol, that in large quantities produce euphoria, stupor, or coma, that when used constantly can cause habituation or addiction, and that are used in medicine to relieve pain, cause sedation, and induce sleep.

2. any controlled substance, whether sedative or stimulant.

   Airports need security solutions that can effectively detect concealed explosives and narcotics.

3. anything that exercises a soothing or numbing effect or influence.

   Television is a narcotic for many people.

adjective

1. of or having the power to produce narcosis, as a drug.

2. pertaining to or of the nature of narcosis.

3. of or relating to narcotics or their use.

4. used by, or in the treatment of, narcotic addicts.

narcotic

/ nɑːˈkɒtɪk /

noun

1. any of a group of drugs, such as heroin, morphine, and pethidine, that produce numbness and stupor. They are used medicinally to relieve pain but are sometimes also taken for their pleasant effects; prolonged use may cause addiction

2. anything that relieves pain or induces sleep, mental numbness, etc

3. any illegal drug

adjective

1. of, relating to, or designating narcotics

2. of or relating to narcotics addicts or users

3. of or relating to narcosis

narcotic

1. Any of a group of highly addictive analgesic drugs derived from opium or opiumlike compounds. Narcotics can cause drowsiness and significant alterations of mood and behavior.

Other Word Forms

• narcotically adverb
• antinarcotic adjective
• antinarcotics adjective
• nonnarcotic adjective
• prenarcotic adjective
• pseudonarcotic adjective
• seminarcotic adjective
• subnarcotic adjective
• unnarcotic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of narcotic¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English noun narcotic, narkotik, Medieval Latin narcōticum, from Greek narkōtikón, noun use of neuter of narkōtikós “benumbing,” equivalent to narkō- (stem of narkoûn “to benumb” + -tikos adjective suffix; narco-, -tic

Word History and Origins

Origin of narcotic¹

C14: via Medieval Latin from Greek narkōtikós, from narkoūn to render numb, from narkē numbness

Example Sentences

In a statement shared on social media, Thai police say "the investigation team received a tip-off that a group of foreigners were planning a narcotics handover at the hotel".

From BBC

Aspirin raises the risk of bleeding complications, and narcotics — which can relieve pain but not fever — pose addiction risks for the mother and infant alike, Teal said.

From Los Angeles Times

"Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking illicit narcotics, and was transiting along a known narcotrafficking passage enroute to poison Americans," he wrote.

From BBC

"I can firmly and confidently say that, as the Executive Director, I did not know that they were disposing of extremely dangerous narcotics onsite," she wrote in a statement.

From BBC

A U.S. naval ship blew up a vessel in the Caribbean that the president claimed belonged to a drug cartel and was being used to smuggle illegal narcotics.

From Salon

Related Words

• anesthetic 
• dope 
• hard drug 
• heroin 
• merchandise 
• opiate 
• opium 
• painkiller 
• sedative 
• tranquilizer