Opiates

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A category of substances originating from opium that serve to alleviate pain and may produce sedation and euphoria
2. Compounds that interact with the brain's opioid receptors, leading to reduced pain perception and potential for addiction
3. Substances extracted or synthesized from the opium poppy that help reduce pain and cause calming effects

Etymology: "Opiates" is the plural of "opiate," and the singular was built from "opium," the sticky juice of the opium poppy. The Medieval Latin "opiātus" meant something prepared with opium, a preparation that had been drugged or dosed with it. English took the word from that Latin base, so the core idea has always been a substance made from or containing opium. The meaning has widened over time. Opium itself is the dried latex of the poppy, and the word "opiate" came to cover any drug with the same sedative, pain-relieving action, whether derived from the poppy or manufactured in a laboratory. That is why modern usage includes morphine, codeine and heroin alongside raw opium, even though none of these were known to medieval physicians. The plural "opiates" simply refers to several such drugs at once.

Synonyms: narcotics, analgesics, painkillers