opium poppy
noun
: an annual Eurasian poppy (Papaver somniferum) cultivated since antiquity as the source of opium, for its edible oily seeds, or for its showy flowers
Examples of opium poppy in a Sentence
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When codeine was first isolated from the opium poppy, in 1832, scientists understood that it was chemically related to morphine but believed that the two drugs worked through different mechanisms.
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Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
For many impoverished farmers in Myanmar’s mountainous Shan state, growing opium poppies has long been a lifeline.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 4 Jan. 2026
Typically, the process of producing hydrocodone from opium poppies can take two years between farming, harvesting and extraction, Smolke said in an interview with CNBC.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 7 July 2025
Afghan Saffron's co-founder Milad Sadat, spearheaded a transformative shift, empowering Afghan farmers to cultivate saffron instead of opium poppies.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
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Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
For many impoverished farmers in Myanmar’s mountainous Shan state, growing opium poppies has long been a lifeline.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 4 Jan. 2026
Typically, the process of producing hydrocodone from opium poppies can take two years between farming, harvesting and extraction, Smolke said in an interview with CNBC.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 7 July 2025
Afghan Saffron's co-founder Milad Sadat, spearheaded a transformative shift, empowering Afghan farmers to cultivate saffron instead of opium poppies.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opium poppy
Cite this Entry
“Opium poppy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opium%20poppy. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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