narcotic
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.
Origin of narcotic
1Other words from narcotic
- nar·cot·i·cal·ly, adverb
- an·ti·nar·cot·ic, adjective, noun
- an·ti·nar·cot·ics, adjective
- non·nar·cot·ic, adjective, noun
- pre·nar·cot·ic, adjective
- pseu·do·nar·cot·ic, adjective, noun
- sem·i·nar·cot·ic, adjective
- sub·nar·cot·ic, adjective
- un·nar·cot·ic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use narcotic in a sentence
If you are a real poet, you are hooked more deeply than any narcotics addict could possibly be on heroin.
Stephen King, “Falling,” and My Father’s Poetry | Christopher Dickey | September 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn 2011, the World Bank declared narcotics trafficking to be one of the greatest threats to development in Central America.
How Mexico’s Cartels Are Behind the Border Kid Crisis | Caitlin Dickson | July 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut a fleeting impression suggests that rap has a tendency rather to numb as, for all I know, narcotics might.
Tupac and Murray Kempton: The Godfather Who Wore Tweed | Michael Daly | June 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTLast year, The Atlantic profiled a physician who quit due to the pressure to prescribe narcotics.
Over time, he can transmit a bloodborne disease such as hepatitis C to the patients he is “sharing” narcotics with.
narcotic poisons are neutralized by vinegar:—Narcotics … torpor … strong wine … sour wine … vinegar.
Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)Concludes the subject of diet, and discusses the effect upon the system of stimulants and narcotics.
The Book of Life: Vol. I Mind and Body; Vol. II Love and Society | Upton SinclairNo one should make use of either stimulants or narcotics except in extreme emergency, and never but a few times in a lifetime.
The Book of Life: Vol. I Mind and Body; Vol. II Love and Society | Upton SinclairI understand religions as narcotics: but when they are given to such nations as the Germans, I think they are simply rank poison.
We Philologists, Volume 8 (of 18) | Friedrich NietzscheThe ceremonial differentiation of the dietary is best seen in the use of intoxicating beverages and narcotics.
The Theory of the Leisure Class | Thorstein Veblen
British Dictionary definitions for narcotic
/ (nɑːˈkɒtɪk) /
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
of, relating to, or designating narcotics
of or relating to narcotics addicts or users
of or relating to narcosis
Origin of narcotic
1Derived forms of narcotic
- narcotically, adverb
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
[ 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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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