Endorphins

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Naturally produced hormones that assist in pain reduction and mood enhancement through feelings of euphoria and well-being
2. Chemicals produced by the brain that act to alleviate pain and create feelings of pleasure and happiness
3. Compounds released within the nervous system that help diminish pain sensations and promote a sense of joy

Etymology: "Endorphins" is the plural of "endorphin," and the singular is a blend of two shorter words. It was borrowed from French "endorphine," which fuses "endo(gène)," meaning "endogenous" or produced within the body, with "morphine," the opiate it was compared to. The idea behind the blend is that the body manufactures its own painkilling substance, one that acts on the same receptors as morphine does. The coinage marks a shift in how scientists thought about pain. Researchers had found that opiate drugs bound to specific sites in the nervous system, which raised the question of why the body would need such sites at all. The answer was that it made its own chemicals that fit them. The name packs that discovery into a single word: the body's internal morphine.

Synonyms: hormones, neurotransmitters