heroin

noun

her·​o·​in ˈher-ə-wən 

ˈhe-rə-

: a strongly physiologically addictive narcotic C₂₁H₂₃NO₅ that is made by acetylation of but is more potent than morphine and that is prohibited for medical use in the U.S. but is used illicitly for its euphoric effects

heroinism

ˈher-ə-wə-ˌni-zəm 

ˈhe-rə-

noun

Examples of heroin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Meiser pleaded guilty in July of last year to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic, about 40 miles northwest from downtown Los Angeles. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

Afghanistan was the world’s biggest opium producer and a major source of heroin in Europe and Asia when the Taliban seized power in August 2021. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026

In the Midwest, including Illinois and Tennessee, the drug has been seen in a powdered form, often mixed alongside fentanyl and heroin. — Diana Anos, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2026

Data on the prevalence of rare behaviors like heroin use are also often not available to researchers below the national level, even though use and supply vary a great deal across areas. — J. Travis Donahoe, STAT, 23 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from Heroin, a trademark

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for heroin

• heroine

Kids Definition

heroin

noun

her·​o·​in ˈher-ə-wən 

: a strongly addictive drug made from the opium poppy and stronger than morphine

Medical Definition

heroin

noun

her·​o·​in ˈher-ə-wən 

: a strongly physiologically addictive narcotic C₂₁H₂₃NO₅ that is made by acetylation of but is more potent than morphine and that is prohibited for medical use in the United States but is used illicitly for its euphoric effects

called also acetomorphine, diacetylmorphine, diamorphine