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.

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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

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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.

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morphine Cultural  

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

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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.

Example Sentences

Then again, Dossett, who was dying of cancer, also had a morphine pump surgically implanted in his chest.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

Sasse, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in December, has credited daraxonrasib with shrinking tumors and alleviating his pain along with morphine, touting it as a “miracle drug” in a recent interview.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

These receptors are proteins found on nerve cells that reduce pain signals when activated by opioids such as morphine.

From Science Daily • Jan. 6, 2026

Sir Ed told reporters he administered morphine to his mother to help her deal with the pain of her condition towards the end of her life.

From BBC • Oct. 31, 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

Related Words

• aspirin
• drug
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• opiate
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