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Showing results for morphine. Search instead for lophine.
Synonyms

morphine

American  
[mawr-feen] / ˈmɔr fin /
Also morphia

noun

Pharmacology.

  1. a white, bitter, crystalline alkaloid, C 1 7 H 1 9 NO 3 ⋅H 2 O, the most important narcotic and addictive principle of opium, obtained by extraction and crystallization and used chiefly in medicine as a pain reliever and sedative.

morphine British  
/ ˈmɔːfiːn, ˈmɔːfɪə /

noun

  1. an alkaloid extracted from opium: used in medicine as an analgesic and sedative, although repeated use causes addiction. Formula: C 17 H 19 NO 3

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
morphine Scientific  
/ môr′fēn′ /

  1. A highly addictive drug derived from opium and used to treat intractable pain, as in severe injury or metastatic cancer.

morphine Cultural  

  1. An addictive drug derived from opium that is used as an analgesic and sedative.

Other Word Forms

  • morphinic adjective

Etymology

Origin of morphine

From the German word Morphin, dating back to 1820–30. See Morpheus, -ine 2

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.

These receptors are proteins found on nerve cells that reduce pain signals when activated by opioids such as morphine.

From Science Daily • Jan. 6, 2026

"I was in and out of consciousness but they gave me morphine and adrenaline which saved my life," said Mr Powell.

From BBC • Aug. 23, 2024

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 100 times more potent than morphine and is used to treat severe pain under the supervision of a licensed medical professional.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 12, 2024

Endorphin is a portmanteau of “endogenous opioid” and in fact drugs like morphine and fentanyl only work in our bodies because they mimic the effects of these innate peptides.

From Salon • Jul. 14, 2024

“I’ll come back with your morphine and a glass of water, Kaka jan,” Soraya said.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

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.