OxyContin
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of OxyContin
First recorded in 1990–95; oxy- 2 ( def. ) + contin(uous) ( def. ), perhaps after the controlled-release nature of the drug
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Supreme Court in 2024 narrowed bankruptcy courts’ authority to shield such nonbankrupt third parties from lawsuits when it ruled against a chapter 11 plan from OxyContin manufacturer Purdue Pharma.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026
“Sugar-Coated Pill,” which includes an OxyContin plush toy and a photograph of Adolf Hitler bending down to feed a baby deer, examines the way cuteness can be used to soften or disguise the ugly.
From New York Times ● Jan. 31, 2024
Matthew Broderick plays Richard Sackler who is the architect of OxyContin.
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2023
As Poitras frames it: “A renowned artist with enormous power in the art world decides to leverage her power to go after” the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 29, 2022
The former federal prosecutor was the only one willing to take a big swing against Purdue Pharma in the OxyContin scandal.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 13, 2022
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
