OPIOID Definition & Meaning

opioid

[ oh-pee-oid ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Biochemistry, Pharmacology.

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.
any opiumlike substance:
Have any opioids been detected in poppies that do not contain opium?
any of a group of natural substances, as the endorphins, produced by the body in increased amounts in response to stress and pain.

adjective

pertaining to such a substance:
opioid drugs such as heroin and oxycodone;
opioid neuropeptides.

opioid

/ ˈəʊ��ɪˌɔɪ�� /

noun

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

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of opioid¹

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

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Helford: The opioid story came back because the Supreme Court handed us a story.

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Four months pregnant, she spent one agonizing day there withdrawing from opioids before she had a seizure and had to be rushed to the emergency room.

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They were lifelines — a fragile but vital safety net for communities devastated by opioids, trauma, suicide and structural neglect.

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While credited by advocates with saving lives during the opioid epidemic, the programs remain controversial, with critics arguing they fuel addiction.

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While opioids like fentanyl are a much more acute threat to drug users, this old and often misunderstood substance might be a renewed concern for festival-goers as well.

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