opium poppy

noun

1. a Eurasian poppy, Papaver somniferum, having white, pink, red, or purple flowers, cultivated as the source of opium, for its oily seeds, and as an ornamental.

opium poppy

noun

1. a poppy, Papaver somniferum, of SW Asia, with greyish-green leaves and typically white or reddish flowers: widely cultivated as a source of opium

Word History and Origins

Origin of opium poppy¹

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Opioids include drugs such as heroin that come from the opium poppy plant, as well as synthetically-made substances like fentanyl.

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Unlike synthetic opioids produced using chemicals in a lab, heroin and morphine are refined from the gum extracted from Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy.

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He said their introduction into the UK market appears to have followed a steep reduction in the production of heroin, after the government in Afghanistan cracked down on the production of opium poppies.

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Its mission: destroy opium poppies used to make heroin.

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One reason thought to be behind the emergence of nitazenes is the ban of harvesting opium poppies in Afghanistan.

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