heroin

[ her-oh-in ]
/ ˈhɛr oʊ ɪn /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR heroin ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Pharmacology.

a white, crystalline, narcotic powder, C21H23NO5, derived from morphine, formerly used as an analgesic and sedative: manufacture and importation of heroin are now controlled by federal law in the U.S. because of the danger of addiction.

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Also called diacetylmorphine, diamorphine.

Origin of heroin

1895–1900; formerly trademark; <German Heroin<Greek hērō-, stem of hḗrōshero + German -in-in2; allegedly so called from the feelings of power and euphoria which it stimulates

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH heroin

heroin , heroine.

Words nearby heroin

heroic quatrain, heroics, heroic stanza, heroic tenor, heroic verse, heroin, heroin chic, heroine, heroinism, heroism, heroize
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to heroin

dope, opium, drug, narcotic, junk, crap, candy, horse, h, diacetylmorphine, scag, mojo, hard stuff

Example sentences from the Web for heroin

British Dictionary definitions for heroin

heroin
/ (ˈhɛrəʊɪn) /

noun

a white odourless bitter-tasting crystalline powder related to morphine: a highly addictive narcotic. Formula: C 21 H 23 NO 5Technical names: diamorphine, diacetylmorphine

Word Origin for heroin

C19: coined in German as a trademark, probably from hero, referring to its aggrandizing effect on the personality
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

Medical definitions for heroin

heroin
[ hĕr′ō-ĭn ]

n.

A white, bitter, crystalline compound that is derived from morphine and is a highly addictive narcotic.diacetylmorphine
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for heroin

heroin
[ hĕr′ō-ĭn ]

A white, odorless, bitter crystalline compound, C17H17NO(C2H3O2)2, that is derived from morphine and is a highly addictive narcotic.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.