opioid

[ oh-pee-oid ]

noun

, Biochemistry, Pharmacology.

1. an opiate, or any similar synthetic compound: formerly referring only to the latter, but now the predominant term for both the opium-derived and synthetically produced substances:

   Illicit use of the synthetic opioid fentanyl is on the rise.

   The opium poppy is the source for all natural opioids.

2. any opiumlike substance:

   Have any opioids been detected in poppies that do not contain opium?

3. any of a group of natural substances, as the endorphins, produced by the body in increased amounts in response to stress and pain.

adjective

1. pertaining to such a substance:

   opioid drugs such as heroin and oxycodone;

   opioid neuropeptides.

opioid

/ ˈəʊpɪˌɔɪd /

noun

1. 1. any of a group of substances that resemble morphine in their physiological or pharmacological effects, esp in their pain-relieving properties
   2. modifier of or relating to such substances

      opioid analgesic

      opioid receptor

Word History and Origins

Origin of opioid¹

First recorded in 1955–60; opi(um) + -oid

Example Sentences

This was accompanied by heightened neuronal responsiveness to cues associated with rewards like a light turning on to indicate that food or an opioid drug was available.

From Science Daily

"It demonstrates the enduring consequences that prenatal cannabis exposure exerts on the brain's reward system, which ultimately results in a neurobiological vulnerability to opioid drugs."

From Science Daily

This illustration shows that male animals exposed to THC in the womb experience a greater surge in the "reward-seeking" brain chemical dopamine when exposed to opioid drugs as adolescents compared to those that were never exposed to THC.

From Science Daily

Animals previously exposed to THC in utero display a dramatically increased motivation to press a lever that would deliver a dose of opioid drugs compared to those that were not previously exposed to THC.

From Science Daily

Around 2014, the ultra-potent synthetic opioid fentanyl began rapidly spreading across the drug supply and made an already deadly crisis far more deadly.

From Salon