narcotic

[ nahr-kot-ik ]

/ nɑrˈkɒt ɪk /

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See synonyms for narcotic on Thesaurus.com

noun

any of a class of substances that blunt the senses, as opium, morphine, belladonna, marijuana, and alcohol, that in large quantities produce euphoria, stupor, or coma, that when used constantly can cause habituation or addiction, and that are used in medicine to relieve pain, cause sedation, and induce sleep.

any controlled substance, whether sedative or stimulant: Airports need security solutions that can effectively detect concealed explosives and narcotics.

anything that exercises a soothing or numbing effect or influence: Television is a narcotic for many people.

adjective

of or having the power to produce narcosis, as a drug.

pertaining to or of the nature of narcosis.

of or relating to narcotics or their use.

used by, or in the treatment of, narcotic addicts.

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Origin of narcotic

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English noun narcotic, narkotik, Medieval Latin narcōticum, from Greek narkōtikón, noun use of neuter of narkōtikós “benumbing,” equivalent to narkō- (stem of narkoûn “to benumb” + -tikos adjective suffix; see narco-, -tic

OTHER WORDS FROM narcotic

nar·cot·i·cal·ly, adverban·ti·nar·cot·ic, adjective, nounan·ti·nar·cot·ics, adjectivenon·nar·cot·ic, adjective, noun

pre·nar·cot·ic, adjectivepseu·do·nar·cot·ic, adjective, nounsem·i·nar·cot·ic, adjectivesub·nar·cot·ic, adjectiveun·nar·cot·ic, adjective

Words nearby narcotic

narcose, narcosis, narcosynthesis, narcoterrorism, narcotherapy, narcotic, narcotics officer, narcotism, narcotize, narcotrafficking, nard

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use narcotic in a sentence

In June 2014, narcotics Detective Thomas Ramirez and his partner stopped a car in Queens for a traffic infraction.
What It Looks Like When the New York City Police Commissioner Has “Unchecked Power” Over Officer Discipline|by Mollie Simon, Lena V. Groeger, Eric Umansky and Adriana Gallardo|December 11, 2020|ProPublica
Other drugs such as alcohol can sometimes be called narcotics as well.
Scientists Say: Narcotic|Bethany Brookshire|October 26, 2020|Science News For Students
That’s because the word “narcotic” once meant any drug that was forbidden.
Scientists Say: Narcotic|Bethany Brookshire|October 26, 2020|Science News For Students
In the United States, for example, drugs such as cocaine used to be called narcotics.
Scientists Say: Narcotic|Bethany Brookshire|October 26, 2020|Science News For Students

Matthew O’Deane started off as a National City police officer in 1992, then became a San Diego gang and narcotics investigator, a gang prosecution unit investigator, and now teaches upcoming police officers.
While We’re Rethinking Policing, It’s Time to End Gang Injunctions|Jamie Wilson|September 15, 2020|Voice of San Diego
It remains a Schedule I narcotic to this day, considered as dangerous and addictive by the federal government as heroin and MDMA.
Pot-Smoking Grannies, Jimmy Fallon Covers U2, and More Viral Videos|The Daily Beast Video|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Chinese government banned qat earlier this year, and classified the plant as a dangerous narcotic.
Chinese Getting Hooked on the Middle East's Favorite Drug|Brendon Hong|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Though I prescribe hardly any narcotic pain medications, most ADHD medications are also Schedule II.
DEA's Painkiller Crackdown Too Little, Too Late?|Russell Saunders|August 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Narcotic pain medications, used judiciously, can be an important tool in treating patients in legitimate need.
DEA's Painkiller Crackdown Too Little, Too Late?|Russell Saunders|August 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Those lines are also great places to score Xanax and crack, both drugs that are not affected by narcotic antagonists.
This Anti-Heroin Drug Is Now King of the Jailhouse Drug Trade|Daniel Genis|July 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Botanists have enumerated between forty and fifty varieties of the tobacco plant who class them all among the narcotic poisons.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Some writers have concluded that the plant served as a narcotic in some parts of Asia.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Narcotic poisons are neutralized by vinegar:—Narcotics … torpor … strong wine … sour wine … vinegar.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
Will not one puff of that narcotic breath drowse deep all watching dragons, and make for him the sleeping beauties of his will?
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
"You will promise me not to use the narcotic buttons," he said, before sitting down.
Three More John Silence Stories|Algernon Blackwood

British Dictionary definitions for narcotic

narcotic

/ (nɑːˈkɒtɪk) /

noun

any of a group of drugs, such as heroin, morphine, and pethidine, that produce numbness and stupor. They are used medicinally to relieve pain but are sometimes also taken for their pleasant effects; prolonged use may cause addiction

anything that relieves pain or induces sleep, mental numbness, etc

any illegal drug

adjective

of, relating to, or designating narcotics

of or relating to narcotics addicts or users

of or relating to narcosis

Derived forms of narcotic

narcotically, adverb

Word Origin for narcotic

C14: via Medieval Latin from Greek narkōtikós, from narkoūn to render numb, from narkē numbness

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

Scientific definitions for narcotic

narcotic

[ när-kŏt′ĭk ]

Any of a group of highly addictive analgesic drugs derived from opium or opiumlike compounds. Narcotics can cause drowsiness and significant alterations of mood and behavior.

narcotic

Origin of narcotic

OTHER WORDS FROM narcotic

Words nearby narcotic

Words related to narcotic

How to use narcotic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for narcotic

Derived forms of narcotic

Word Origin for narcotic

Scientific definitions for narcotic