narcotic en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /nɑɹˈkɑtɪk/ (Canada, General-American)
- /nɑːˈkɒtɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- [nɑɹˈkɑɾɪk] (Canada, General-American)
- /nɐːˈkɒtək/ (New-Zealand)
- /nɐːˈkɔtɪk/ (Australia)
- [nɐːˈkɔ̟tək] (New-Zealand)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
From Middle English narcotyk, from Middle French narcotique (from Old French narcotique, noun use of adjective) and directly from Medieval Latin narcōticum, from Ancient Greek ναρκωτῐκόν (narkōtĭkón), neuter of ναρκωτῐκός (narkōtĭkós), from Ancient Greek ναρκόω (narkóō, “to benumb”), from νάρκη (nárkē, “numbness, torpor”).
Meanings
-
Any substance or drug that reduces pain, induces sleep and may alter mood or behaviour; in some contexts, especially in reference to the opiates-and-opioids class, especially in reference to illegal drugs, and often both.
"Real San Juan Colorado," he said. "Excitable people like you are the better for narcotics. Heavens! don't bite it! Cut - and cut with reverence!"
1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:The State Department has given Ecuador $81 million since 2018 to help the country with its fight against organized crime and narcotics.
2025 March 19, Hira Humayun and Michael Rios, “Ecuador’s president invites foreign armies to fight gangs in the country”, in CNN:In 2016, the CDC established guidelines for prescribing narcotics for chronic pain.
2017 March 20, Nadia Kounang, “Prescriptions may hold clues to who gets hooked on opioids, study says”, in CNN:
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Any type of numbing or soothing drug.
Podson grabbed at his tobacco with a fervent, "God! just about saved my life." With a cigarette going he grabbed at the papers, requiring spiritual sustenance as well as a divine narcotic.
1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 139:Which means that at the moment Raven entered her, a very small hypodermic needle slipped imperceptibly into the engorged frontal vein of his penis, automatically shooting a cocktail of powerful narcotics and depressants into his bloodstream.
1992, Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, page 358:But, for the unquiet heart and brain, A use in measured language lies; The sad mechanic exercise, Like dull narcotics, numbing pain.
1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto V”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| narcotics | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| narcotick | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic |
Deriveds
non-narcotic · subnarcotic · nonnarcotic · anti-narcotic · narcotics · antinarcotic
Relateds
narcoterrorism · narco- · narcosis · narcotize
Translations (66)
ko 마약 (class of drugs) · it narcotico (class of drugs) · el αναισθητικό (numbing drug) · tg воситаи нашъадор (class of drugs) · ug ناركوتىك (class of drugs) · be нарко́тык (class of drugs) · hy նարկոտիկ (class of drugs) · fa-ira مُخَدِّر (class of drugs) · th สารเสพติด (class of drugs) · ro narcotică (numbing drug) · el ναρκωτικό (class of drugs) · uk нарко́тик (class of drugs) · ka ნარკოტიკი (class of drugs) · sv narkotika (numbing drug) · et uimasti (class of drugs) · nl verdovende middel (class of drugs) · tl narkotiko (class of drugs) · cmn 麻醉劑 /麻醉剂 (class of drugs) · ro narcotică (class of drugs) · ur نَشَہ (class of drugs) · es estupefaciente (class of drugs) · sv knark (numbing drug) · th ยาเสพติด (class of drugs) · it narcotico (numbing drug) · cs narkotikum (class of drugs) · sv narkotika (class of drugs) · ar مُخَدِّر (class of drugs) · crh narkotik (class of drugs) · fr narcotique (class of drugs) · de Narkotikum (class of drugs) · sh narkòtik (class of drugs) · mi pōau (class of drugs) · kk еліткіш (class of drugs) · hi मादक (class of drugs) · vi ma túy (class of drugs) · et droog (class of drugs) · lo ຢາເສບຕິດ (class of drugs) · sv knark (class of drugs) · nl narcotica (class of drugs) · el ναρκωτικό (numbing drug) · bg наркоти́к (class of drugs) · pl narkotyk (class of drugs) · fr narcotique (numbing drug) · ms narkotik (class of drugs) · sh нарко̀тик (class of drugs) · ru нарко́тик (class of drugs) · kk есірткіш (class of drugs) · id narkotika (class of drugs) · fi unilääke (class of drugs) · kk есірткі (class of drugs) · mi pūroi (class of drugs) · hy թմրամիջոց (class of drugs) · et narkootikum (class of drugs) · ia narcotico (numbing drug) · mi rongoā whakarehu (class of drugs) · fi huumausaine (numbing drug) · mi pūroi (numbing drug) · es narcótico (numbing drug) · sk narkotikum (class of drugs) · ja 麻薬 (class of drugs) · pl narkotyk (numbing drug) · ru нарко́тик (numbing drug) · tl narkotiko (numbing drug) · mk наркотик (class of drugs) · mi whakapōauau (class of drugs) · pt narcótico (numbing drug)