opioid

American  

[oh-pee-oid] / ˈoʊ piˌɔɪd /

noun

Biochemistry, Pharmacology.

opioids plural

1. an opiate, or any similar synthetic compound: formerly referring only to the latter, but now the predominant term for both the opium-derived and synthetically produced substances.

   Illicit use of the synthetic opioid fentanyl is on the rise.

   The opium poppy is the source for all natural opioids.

2. any opiumlike substance.

   Have any opioids been detected in poppies that do not contain opium?

3. any of a group of natural substances, as the endorphins, produced by the body in increased amounts in response to stress and pain.

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adjective

1. pertaining to such a substance.

   opioid drugs such as heroin and oxycodone;

   opioid neuropeptides.

opioid British  

/ ˈəʊpɪˌɔɪd /

noun

1. 1. any of a group of substances that resemble morphine in their physiological or pharmacological effects, esp in their pain-relieving properties

   2. (modifier) of or relating to such substances

      opioid receptor

      opioid analgesic

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• opioids
  plural

Etymology

Origin of opioid

First recorded in 1955–60; opi(um) + -oid

Example Sentences

Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking, said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2023

If Dr. Califf is confirmed, “there’s a chance he could do something and then maybe we’d finally get somewhere,” said Dr. Kolodny, who is medical director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative at Brandeis University.

From New York Times • Feb. 3, 2022

In 2018, the McKesson pharmaceutical company created a separate $100-million nonprofit, the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 10, 2021

Opioid manufacturer Mallinckrodt agreed to pay $1.6 billion into a national trust account as part of a bankruptcy.

From Washington Times • Nov. 4, 2020

According to documents, it helped Purdue identify and counter “potential threats,” such as congressional investigators and the group Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing.

From Salon • Nov. 22, 2019