heroin
Americannoun
noun
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Janda's laboratory has previously developed vaccine candidates targeting both fentanyl and heroin.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 13, 2026
In the two weeks since the summit, news outlets have been dutifully publishing articles that draw on facts and medical expertise, explaining that Kennedy is wrong to compare people who use SSRIs to heroin addicts.
From Salon ● May 18, 2026
US President Donald Trump has made the fight against criminal gangs sending illicit drugs such as heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamines and cocaine one of his priorities.
From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2026
They would grow to dominate not just the lucrative production of heroin and crystal meth, but the mineral and gold mines dotted around the state, as well as the avocado and lime industries.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2023
The cops grouped the boys together, lined them up against a fence, and demanded to know which of them had jettisoned the bag, which later turned out to be filled with quinine, not heroin.
From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
