1
: any of various formerly used preparations of opium
2
: a tincture of opium
Examples of laudanum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Anderson renders her character’s slow descent into virtual penury and laudanum addiction a genuinely heartrending experience, and her late-in-the-film breakdown about her uselessness stands as one of the decade’s great acting feats.
—
Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024
Telemachus took nepenthe, Juliet some kind of nightshade, Anna Karenina laudanum.
—Martha McPhee, Vogue, 24 July 2024
Al is smart to doubt Trixie’s commitment to getting the widow hooked on dope in lieu of laudanum.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2021
Doc stays neutral but signals his position by urging her to get out of town and then giving her more laudanum.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2021
Its big-house entourage is crammed with stereotypes, from the world-weary auntie in the kitchen to the hysterical laudanum-sipping mistress.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2021
Unfortunately for all involved, Featherington's bookies somehow uncover the plan and, to teach him a very extreme lesson, ambush him with a bottle of laudanum, a form of opium with potentially fatal effects.
—Andrea Park, Marie Claire, 30 Dec. 2020
But who wouldn’t take as much laudanum as possible in their circumstances?
—The Washington Post, The Mercury News, 6 June 2019
There is a wealthy widow named Alma (Molly Parker) who has a laudanum addiction, an upstanding sheriff’s wife (Anna Gunn), and resident outlaws like Wild Bill Hickok (Keith Carradine) and Calamity Jane (Robin Weigert).
—Rachel Syme, The New Republic, 6 June 2019
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024
Telemachus took nepenthe, Juliet some kind of nightshade, Anna Karenina laudanum.
—Martha McPhee, Vogue, 24 July 2024
Al is smart to doubt Trixie’s commitment to getting the widow hooked on dope in lieu of laudanum.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2021
Doc stays neutral but signals his position by urging her to get out of town and then giving her more laudanum.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2021
Its big-house entourage is crammed with stereotypes, from the world-weary auntie in the kitchen to the hysterical laudanum-sipping mistress.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2021
Unfortunately for all involved, Featherington's bookies somehow uncover the plan and, to teach him a very extreme lesson, ambush him with a bottle of laudanum, a form of opium with potentially fatal effects.
—Andrea Park, Marie Claire, 30 Dec. 2020
But who wouldn’t take as much laudanum as possible in their circumstances?
—The Washington Post, The Mercury News, 6 June 2019
There is a wealthy widow named Alma (Molly Parker) who has a laudanum addiction, an upstanding sheriff’s wife (Anna Gunn), and resident outlaws like Wild Bill Hickok (Keith Carradine) and Calamity Jane (Robin Weigert).
—Rachel Syme, The New Republic, 6 June 2019
Dictionary Entries Near laudanum
Cite this Entry
“Laudanum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laudanum. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
laudanum
noun
lau·da·num
ˈlȯd-nəm 
-ᵊn-əm
: a formerly used preparation of opium
Medical Definition
laudanum
noun
lau·da·num
ˈlȯd-nəm, -ᵊn-əm
1
: any of various formerly used preparations of opium
2
: a tincture of opium
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share