morphine
English
Etymology
Borrowed from French morphine or German Morphin, from Ancient Greek Μορφεύς (Morpheús, “the god and personification of dreams”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈmɔː.fiːn/
Audio (RP) (file) - (General American) IPA(key): /ˈmɔɹˌfin/
Noun
morphine (countable and uncountable, plural morphines)
- (biochemistry, pharmacology) A crystalline alkaloid (7,8-didehydro-4,5-epoxy-17-methyl-morphinan-3,6-diol), extracted from opium, the salts of which are soluble in water and are used as analgesics, anaesthetics and sedatives; it is one of a group of morphine alkaloids.
Synonyms
- morphia
- See also Thesaurus:recreational drug
Derived terms
Translations
crystalline alkaloid
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References
- “morphine”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- “morphine”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
French
Etymology
From Ancient Greek Μορφεύς (Morpheús) + -ine.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /mɔʁ.fin/
audio (file)
References
- “morphine” in the Dictionnaire de l’Académie française, 8th Edition (1932–35).
Further reading
- “morphine”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
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