narcotic
Narcotic (noun) means a drug that dulls pain and induces sleep, especially an opioid, often used illegally. Example: “Doctors prescribe narcotics carefully because of the risk of addiction.”
How to use narcotic
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA pain-relieving, sleep-inducing drug — commonly used to mean illegal opioid drugs.
Word forms
more narcotic comparative, narcotics plural, most narcotic superlative
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Doctors prescribe _____ carefully because of the risk of addiction.
Etymology
From Greek narkotikos, from narkoun, "to numb", related to narke, "numbness".
Rhymes for narcotic
Frequently asked questions
What does “narcotic” mean?
The word “narcotic” means a drug that dulls pain and induces sleep, especially an opioid, often used illegally. In plain terms, a pain-relieving, sleep-inducing drug — commonly used to mean illegal opioid drugs.
How do you pronounce “narcotic”?
“Narcotic” is pronounced nah-KO-tihk (/nɑɹˈkɑtɪk/ in IPA).
How do you use “narcotic” in a sentence?
Here is “narcotic” used in a sentence: “Doctors prescribe narcotics carefully because of the risk of addiction.”
What part of speech is “narcotic”?
Depending on how it is used, “narcotic” can be a noun and an adjective.
Where does the word “narcotic” come from?
The word “narcotic” comes from Greek. From Greek narkotikos, from narkoun, "to numb", related to narke, "numbness".
How many meanings does “narcotic” have?
“Narcotic” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a drug that dulls pain and induces sleep, especially an opioid, often used illegally.