opiate
noun
-ˌāt\
Definition of opiate
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a : a drug (such as morphine or codeine) containing or derived from opium and tending to induce sleep and alleviate pain broadly : narcotic sense 1a
b : opioid sense 1
2 : something that induces rest or inaction or quiets uneasiness regarded television as an opiate
opiate
adjectiveDefinition of opiate (Entry 2 of 2)
1a : containing or mixed with opium
b : of, relating to, binding, or being an opiate opiate receptors
2a : inducing sleep : narcotic
b : causing dullness or inaction
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Synonyms & Antonyms for opiate
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Adjective
drowsy, hypnotic, narcotic, sleepy, slumberous (or slumbrous), somniferous, somnolent, soporific
Antonyms: Adjective
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Examples of opiate in a Sentence
Noun
Many see television as an opiate of the masses. a cultural critic who argues that the Internet has now joined television as an opiate of the American peopleAdjective
morphine is an opiate drug
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Patillo admitted to using heroin that morning and tested positive for opiates and marijuana, the affidavit said. — Fox News, "Indiana father charged with neglect in sons' drownings," 24 Aug. 2018 Naloxone use is increasingly common as communities across the country grapple with the effects of opiate addiction. — Tessie Castillo, SELF, "Here’s How to Use the Opioid Overdose Reversal Drug Naloxone," 26 July 2018 Methadone and another medication, buprenorphine, are milder opioids used to help people stop using painkillers or illicit opiates such as heroin. — Marie Mccullough, Philly.com, "Newborns in opioid withdrawal may do better on methadone than morphine, major study finds," 18 June 2018 Sanders discussed the removal of Russian diplomats, the opiate crisis, and other topics. — Washington Post, "White House denies probe into loans to Kushner company," 27 Mar. 2018 But opiates, swiped from a friend’s parents’ medicine cabinet, quelled her restlessness and anxiety in ways that her A.D.H.D. medications did not. — New York Times, "She Went to Jail for a Drug Relapse. Tough Love or Too Harsh?," 4 June 2018 Now, a study of of a major metropolitan area is following suit, showing that national data of the opiate crisis is supported by smaller samples within a state. — Brittany Shoot, Fortune, "Fentanyl Is Causing Almost Half of All Overdose Deaths, Research Shows," 2 July 2018 Overdose, Fulham Drive: A man reported Jan. 23 his daughter, 28, was unresponsive and had possibly overdosed on opiates. — Andy Attina / Cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Woman out $9,500 in computer repair scam: Mayfield Heights Police Blotter," 7 Feb. 2018 Rannazzisi, a former DEA official who has charged the pharmaceutical industry with culpability in the opiate epidemic, was the keynote speaker for the 14th annual symposium. — Staff Report, The Aegis, "Harford holds annual drug prevention and treament symposium," 21 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
On Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions was in Concord, N.H., touting a federal plan to get tougher on fentanyl dealers in cities hit hardest by the opiate abuse crisis. — Yvonne Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, "The truth about Lawrence," 14 July 2018 To this administration, opiate addiction isn’t primarily about demand — about treating addicts and saving lives. — Yvonne Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, "The truth about Lawrence," 14 July 2018 The Nebraska State Patrol seized 118 pounds of fentanyl in April, making it the largest seizure of the opiate drug in the state's history. — Joel Shannon, USA TODAY, "Near a Nebraska town, cops seize enough opioids to kill over 26 million," 26 May 2018 The Obama Foundation Fellowship selected Kang to keep up his civic engagement by building a comprehensive continuum of care for those with opiate addiction. — Terry Demio, Cincinnati.com, "'There is hope.' Mercy Health psychologist gets Obama fellowship for addiction work," 24 Apr. 2018 Doctors often treat that condition with opiate medication, despite little evidence that opiates are actually effective for it. — Christopher Ingraham, chicagotribune.com, "Two new studies show how marijuana can help fight the opioid epidemic," 2 Apr. 2018 The study was co-funded by Intelligent Fingerprinting, which makes a drug test that uses the sweat from fingerprints to test for cocaine, cannabis, and opiate use. — Emily Price, Fortune, "You May Have Traces of Cocaine or Heroin on Your Fingertips Right Now," 22 Mar. 2018 More problematic is that some clinics, like Zong’s, offer a mix of services — treatment for both opiate addiction and pain. — Brian Rinker, Washington Post, "A Battered Doctor, A Slain Patient And A Family’s Quest For Answers," 13 Mar. 2018 Opioid and opiate drugs bind to and activate opioid receptors in your brain, gut, and spinal cord. — Tessie Castillo, SELF, "Here Are the Medications You Should Never Mix With Opioids," 6 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'opiate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for opiate
opiate
noun
English Language Learners Definition of opiate
: a drug (such as morphine or codeine) that is made from opium and that is used to reduce pain or cause sleep
: something that causes people to ignore problems and to relax instead of doing things that need to be done
See the full definition for opiate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
opiate
noun
-ˌāt
\
Medical Definition of opiate
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : a drug (as morphine, heroin, and codeine) containing or derived from opium and tending to induce sleep and to alleviate pain broadly : narcotic sense 1
2 : opioid sense 1 —not used technically
opiate
adjectiveMedical Definition of opiate (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : of, relating to, or being opium or an opium derivative
2 : of, relating to, binding, or being an opiate opiate receptors
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