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morphine

American  
[mawr-feen] / ˈmɔr fin /
Also morphia

noun

Pharmacology.

  1. a white, bitter, crystalline alkaloid, C 1 7 H 1 9 NO 3 ⋅H 2 O, 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.

morphine British  
/ ˈmɔːfiːn, ˈmɔːfɪə /

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

"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
morphine Scientific  
/ môr′fēn′ /

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

morphine Cultural  

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

Other Word Forms

  • morphinic adjective

Etymology

Origin of morphine

From the German word Morphin, dating back to 1820–30. See Morpheus, -ine 2

Explanation

Morphine is a pain-relieving medication. Someone who's in the hospital recovering from an accident or surgery might be prescribed morphine. Morphine is a powerful narcotic that's related to opium — it's an opiate. Because of its strength and the danger of patients becoming addicted to it (as well as some nasty side effects), morphine is only prescribed in serious cases. Morphine is the French version of a word coined by a German pharmacist, Morphin, after the Ancient Greek god Morpheus, the god of dreams.

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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.

It told the BBC that morphine had been administered twice to Jacqueline's aunt Caitriona at the end of her life.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

The New Yorker was taken to a hospital where she received IV fluids and morphine and “the pain finally went away,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2025

"I was in and out of consciousness but they gave me morphine and adrenaline which saved my life," said Mr Powell.

From BBC • Aug. 23, 2024

Endorphin is a portmanteau of “endogenous opioid” and in fact drugs like morphine and fentanyl only work in our bodies because they mimic the effects of these innate peptides.

From Salon • Jul. 14, 2024

At three in the morning on Billy’s morphine night in prison, a new patient was carried into the hospital by two lusty Englishmen.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut

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.