NARCOTIC

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does narcotic mean? 

• NARCOTIC (noun)
  The noun NARCOTIC has 1 sense:

1. a drug that produces numbness or stupor; often taken for pleasure or to reduce pain; extensive use can lead to addiction

  Familiarity information: NARCOTIC used as a noun is very rare.

• NARCOTIC (adjective)
  The adjective NARCOTIC has 3 senses:

1. of or relating to or designating narcotics

2. inducing stupor or narcosis

3. inducing mental lethargy

  Familiarity information: NARCOTIC used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• NARCOTIC (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A drug that produces numbness or stupor; often taken for pleasure or to reduce pain; extensive use can lead to addiction

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("narcotic" is a kind of...):

drug (a substance that is used as a medicine or narcotic)

Domain member category:

connection (a supplier (especially of narcotics))

space cadet (someone who seems unable to respond appropriately to reality (as if under the influence of some narcotic drug))

addiction; dependance; dependence; dependency; habituation (being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming (especially alcohol or narcotic drugs))

drug addiction; white plague (an addiction to a drug (especially a narcotic drug))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "narcotic"):

hard drug (a narcotic that is considered relatively strong and likely to cause addiction)

Demerol; meperidine; meperidine hydrochloride (a synthetic narcotic drug (trade name Demerol) used to treat pain)

dolophine hydrochloride; fixer; methadon; methadone; methadone hydrochloride; synthetic heroin (synthetic narcotic drug similar to morphine but less habit-forming; used in narcotic detoxification and maintenance of heroin addiction)

opiate (a narcotic drug that contains opium or an opium derivative)

opium (an addictive narcotic extracted from seed capsules of the opium poppy)

recreational drug (a narcotic drug that is used only occasionally and is claimed to be nonaddictive)

soft drug (a drug of abuse that is considered relatively mild and not likely to cause addiction)

Derivation:

narcotic (inducing stupor or narcosis)

narcotize (administer narcotics to)

• NARCOTIC (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of or relating to or designating narcotics

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Context example:

narcotic stupor

Pertainym:

narcotic (a drug that produces numbness or stupor; often taken for pleasure or to reduce pain; extensive use can lead to addiction)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Inducing stupor or narcosis

Synonyms:

narcotic; narcotising; narcotizing

Context example:

narcotic drugs

Similar:

depressant (capable of depressing physiological or psychological activity or response by a chemical agent)

Derivation:

narcosis (unconsciousness induced by narcotics or anesthesia)

narcotic (a drug that produces numbness or stupor; often taken for pleasure or to reduce pain; extensive use can lead to addiction)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Inducing mental lethargy

Synonyms:

narcotic; soporiferous; soporific

Context example:

a narcotic speech

Similar:

uninteresting (arousing no interest or attention or curiosity or excitement)

 Context examples 

The most powerful pain relievers are narcotics.

(Pain Relievers, NIH)

The hydrochloride salt form of buprenorphine, a synthetic phenanthrene with narcotic analgesic activity.

(Buprenorphine Hydrochloride, NCI Thesaurus)

The hydrochloride salt form of the d-isomer of synthetic diphenyl propionate derivative propoxyphene, with narcotic analgesic effect.

(Dextropropoxyphene Hydrochloride, NCI Thesaurus)

Further, research has shown improved pain control and reductions in narcotics necessary to maintain pain control to be associated with this delivery method.

(Intravenous Patient-Controlled Analgesia, NCI Thesaurus)

Opioids used to be called narcotics.

(Opioid, NCI Dictionary)

Agents inhibiting the effect of narcotics on the central nervous system.

(Opiate Antagonist, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

This results in the prevention or reversal of both narcotic- and CNS depressant-induced respiratory depression.

(Doxapram, NCI Thesaurus)

A substance that is being studied as a treatment for constipation caused by narcotic medications.

(Naloxone, NCI Dictionary)

At last, however, the narcotic began to manifest its potency; and she fell into a deep sleep.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

The hydrochloride salt form of pentazocine, a benzomorphan narcotic agonist-antagonist.

(Pentazocine Hydrochloride, NCI Thesaurus)