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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Derived from the opium poppy, opioids alleviate pain by binding to opioid receptors in the brain. —

Leah Shaffer, Discover Magazine, 24 Feb. 2016 Heroin comes from the opium poppy, and methadone is synthetic. —

Carol Sutton Lewis, Scientific American, 30 Mar. 2023 The Taliban’s decision to ban opium poppy in Afghanistan, which accounts for about 80 percent of the world’s supply of opium, comes as the group is under increasing international pressure after a series of decrees targeting women, including their ability to attend secondary school. —

New York Times, 3 Apr. 2022 Poppy seeds come from the opium poppy plant, which is also the source of opioid drugs. —

Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 28 Mar. 2023 Most of our opioids come from an opium poppy base. —

The Politics Of Everything, The New Republic, 29 Sep. 2021 Part of the thrill is the proximity of beauty to danger, fragility to force; Rittson-Thomas likewise covers the ground of her orchard in the Cotswolds with blood-red common poppies, cousins to the powerful opium poppy, which carry their own soporific tinge. —

Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2020 Taking a leap in that direction, researchers from Stanford University have created a version of baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) that contains genetic material of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), bringing the morphine microbial factory one step closer to reality. —

Luc Henry, Discover Magazine, 9 Sep. 2014 Similar to artemisinin, opioids are manufactured from natural precursors that come from opium poppy fields found in few regulated areas in Turkey and on the island of Tasmania. —

Luc Henry, Discover Magazine, 9 Sep. 2014 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'opium poppy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of opium poppy was in 1849

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Opium poppy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opium%20poppy. Accessed 3 Jun. 2023.

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Kids Definition

opium poppy

noun

: an annual Eurasian poppy grown for opium, for its edible oily seeds, and for its showy flowers

Medical Definition

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