heroin

American  

[her-oh-in] / ˈhɛr oʊ ɪn /

noun

Pharmacology.

1. a white, crystalline, narcotic powder, C 21 H 23 NO 5 , 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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heroin British  

/ ˈhɛrəʊɪn /

noun

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

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heroin Scientific  

/ hĕr′ō-ĭn /

1. A white, odorless, bitter crystalline compound, C ₁₇ H ₁₇ NO(C ₂ H ₃ O ₂) ₂, that is derived from morphine and is a highly addictive narcotic.

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Etymology

Origin of heroin

1895–1900; formerly trademark; < German Heroin < Greek hērō-, stem of hḗrōs hero + German -in -in ²; allegedly so called from the feelings of power and euphoria which it stimulates

Example Sentences

A decade on she says: "I think we're on the cusp of seeing heroin chic return."

From BBC

As author and radio host Thom Hartmann sharply observed in a new essay, Fox News is like heroin to its public.

From Salon

Their patients, all men, aged 19 to 37, had been addicted to heroin for an average of nine years.

From Scientific American

It was first identified as an adulterant in heroin supplies in the early 2000s.

From Scientific American

He became a celebrity, and his mystique was only accentuated by his short rise to fame and untimely death, from a heroin overdose, at age 27.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dope
• drug
• narcotic
• smack