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.
Purdue first introduced OxyContin, a powerful prescription pain-management drug, in the 1990s.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
Matthew Broderick plays Richard Sackler who is the architect of OxyContin.
From Salon • Aug. 19, 2023
Dame Jillian Sackler, whose husband, Arthur, died years before OxyContin arrived on the market, began giving to the Academies in 2000, and donated $5 million by 2017, Academies reports show.
From New York Times • Apr. 28, 2023
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
As Giuliani stayed busy by making money, consulting for corporations like OxyContin manufacturer Purdue Pharma, his third marriage, to Judith Nathan, was no refuge.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 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.
