heroin

noun

her·​o·​in ˈher-ə-wən How to pronounce heroin (audio)
ˈhe-rə-
: a strongly physiologically addictive narcotic C21H23NO5 that is made by acetylation of but is more potent than morphine and that is prohibited for medical use in the U.S. but is used illicitly for its euphoric effects
heroinism noun

Examples of heroin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Inside the traps were more than 11 kilograms of drugs, including fentanyl and heroin, as well as tools used to brand, package, distribute and traffic narcotics, the indictment said. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2024 Withdrawal symptoms start within a few hours of withdrawal from short-acting opioids (like heroin or oxycodone) and a few days from long-acting opioids. Josephine Hessert, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2024 Production of methamphetamine in the region has also surged in recent years, outpacing heroin and opium. Rebecca Wright, CNN, 19 Oct. 2024 But when someone takes too much OxyContin or heroin or fentanyl, the drugs bash into so many neurons and attach to so many receptors that all sorts of signals can end up blocked, including breathing. Blake Nelson, The Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for heroin 

Word History

Etymology

from Heroin, a trademark

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heroin was in 1898

Dictionary Entries Near heroin

Cite this Entry

“Heroin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heroin. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

heroin

noun
her·​o·​in ˈher-ə-wən How to pronounce heroin (audio)
: a strongly addictive drug made from the opium poppy and stronger than morphine

Medical Definition

heroin

noun
her·​o·​in ˈher-ə-wən How to pronounce heroin (audio)
: a strongly physiologically addictive narcotic C21H23NO5 that is made by acetylation of but is more potent than morphine and that is prohibited for medical use in the United States but is used illicitly for its euphoric effects

called also acetomorphine, diacetylmorphine, diamorphine

More from Merriam-Webster on heroin

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