: a bitter crystalline addictive narcotic base C17H19NO3 that is the principal alkaloid of opium and is used in the form of a soluble salt (such as a hydrochloride or a sulfate) as an analgesic and sedative
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Opioids such as heroin, morphine and methadone were the most common drugs connected to fatalities, being implicated in 937 deaths.
—
Stephen Castle, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Poppy seeds, commonly found in baked goods and pastries, can contain opium alkaloids like morphine and codeine, which are Schedule II drugs banned for military personnel under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
—Dario Sabaghi, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
No one leaves the prison’s political section, where most of the inmates have been hooked on morphine.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025
One such drug, fentanyl – a synthetic opioid that’s 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine – is the leading reason U.S. overdose deaths have surged in recent years.
—Rodney Coates, The Conversation, 27 Jan. 2025
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Stephen Castle, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Poppy seeds, commonly found in baked goods and pastries, can contain opium alkaloids like morphine and codeine, which are Schedule II drugs banned for military personnel under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
—Dario Sabaghi, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
No one leaves the prison’s political section, where most of the inmates have been hooked on morphine.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025
One such drug, fentanyl – a synthetic opioid that’s 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine – is the leading reason U.S. overdose deaths have surged in recent years.
—Rodney Coates, The Conversation, 27 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for morphine
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Cite this Entry
“Morphine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/morphine. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
morphine
noun
mor·phine
ˈmȯr-ˌfēn 
: a bitter white habit-forming narcotic drug made from opium and used especially to deaden pain
Etymology
derived from Morpheus "Greek god of dreams"
Medical Definition
morphine
noun
mor·phine
ˈmȯr-ˌfēn
: a bitter crystalline addictive narcotic base C17H19NO3 that is the principal alkaloid of opium and is used in the form of its hydrated sulfate (C17H19NO3)2·H2SO4·5H2O or hydrated hydrochloride C17H19NO3·HCl·3H2O as an analgesic and sedative
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