opium poppy

noun

1. a Eurasian poppy, Papaver somniferum, having white, pink, red, or purple flowers, cultivated as the source of opium, for its oily seeds, and as an ornamental.

opium poppy

noun

1. a poppy, Papaver somniferum, of SW Asia, with greyish-green leaves and typically white or reddish flowers: widely cultivated as a source of opium

Word History and Origins

Origin of opium poppy¹

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Unlike synthetic opioids produced using chemicals in a lab, heroin and morphine are refined from the gum extracted from Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy.

From Salon

He said their introduction into the UK market appears to have followed a steep reduction in the production of heroin, after the government in Afghanistan cracked down on the production of opium poppies.

From BBC

Its mission: destroy opium poppies used to make heroin.

From New York Times

One reason thought to be behind the emergence of nitazenes is the ban of harvesting opium poppies in Afghanistan.

From BBC

After the mid-18th century, when the British East India Co. was importing tea from China, few could have guessed that the industry would be revolutionized by a different plant: the opium poppy.

From Los Angeles Times