opium: Meaning and Definition of

o•pi•um

Pronunciation: (ō'pē-um), [key]
— n.
  1. the dried, condensed juice of a poppy, Papaver somniferum, that has a narcotic, soporific, analgesic, and astringent effect and contains morphine, codeine, papaverine, and other alkaloids used in medicine in their isolated or derived forms: a narcotic substance, poisonous in large doses.
  2. anything that causes dullness or inaction or that soothes the mind or emotions.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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