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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�y��vlog 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.

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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Because xylazine is not an opioid, it cannot be reversed with an overdose medication such as Narcan, making it especially lethal.

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This comes after years of Republican lawmakers banging the drums of war against the narcos south of the border, even describing illicit fentanyl, an opioid used daily in hospitals for surgery, as a "chemical weapon."

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