heroin
noun
her·o·in
| \ ˈher-ə-wən
, ˈhe-rə-\
, ˈhe-rə-\
Definition of heroin
: a strongly physiologically addictive narcotic C21H23NO5 that is made by acetylation of but is more potent than morphine and that is prohibited for medical use in the U.S. but is used illicitly for its euphoric effects
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from heroin
heroinism
\ ˈher-ə-wə-ˌni-zəm
, ˈhe-rə- \
noun
, ˈhe-rə- \
noun
Examples of heroin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin, and proving increasingly popular with American drug users. — Sanya Mansoor, Time, "'Search For & Refuse All Deliveries.' Amid Trade War, Trump Urges USPS Crackdown on Fentanyl Trafficking From China," 24 Aug. 2019 Some victims had collapsed in public bathrooms and parks after shooting up or snorting drugs containing fentanyl, which can be 50 times stronger than heroin. — Annie Correal, New York Times, "‘She Was Like You and Me’: A Death and Life in the Bronx Opioid Crisis," 9 Aug. 2019 Fentanyl is about 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin. — Ben Westcott, CNN, "Beijing says US legalization of marijuana is a 'threat to China'," 17 June 2019 Fentanyl — the synthetic drug 50 times more potent than heroin — continues to fuel the death toll. — Erin Cox, Washington Post, "For the first time in 10 years, fatal opioid overdoses decline in Maryland," 11 June 2019 Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that’s much more powerful than heroin and is often used to cut the weaker drug. — Aubrey Whelan, Philly.com, "West Philadelphia nervously watches as fentanyl kills the unsuspecting," 5 July 2018 Fentanyl is about 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more powerful than heroin, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency. — Shari Rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, "'Bodies can't take it': Fentanyl involved in nearly half of drug overdose deaths," 2 July 2018 Fentanyl and Carfentanil have been deemed more potent than heroin, with short periods of exposure to the drugs in powder form posing a hazard for emergency personnel. — Marco Santana, OrlandoSentinel.com, "UCF researcher gets $1 million grant to help protect emergency personnel from opioids," 28 June 2018 Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin, and users often misjudge its strength when injecting the drug, leading to overdoses. — Vipal Monga, WSJ, "Ontario Promotes Free Use of Opioid Antidote," 24 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'heroin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for heroin
heroin
noun
English Language Learners Definition of heroin
: a powerful illegal drug that is made from morphine
See the full definition for heroin in the English Language Learners Dictionary
heroin
noun
her·o·in
| \ ˈher-ə-wən
\
\
Kids Definition of heroin
: a very harmful illegal drug that is highly addictive and is made from morphine
heroin
noun
her·o·in
| \ ˈher-ə-wən
\
\
Medical Definition of heroin
: a strongly physiologically addictive narcotic C21H23NO5 that is made by acetylation of but is more potent than morphine and that is prohibited for medical use in the United States but is used illicitly for its euphoric effects
— called also acetomorphine, diacetylmorphine, diamorphine
Keep scrolling for more