See Also: Narcotic(medicine)
narcotic(encyclopedia)
narcotic(dictionary)
narcotic 1, noun(dictionary)
narcotic reversal(medicine)
narcotic hunger(medicine)
narcotic blockade(medicine)
narcotic antagonists(medicine)
narcotic analgesics(medicine)
analgesics, non-narcotic(medicine)

narcotic (iou)



narcotic noun & adjective. LME.
[Old & mod. French narcotique or medieval Latin narcoticus, -um from Greek narkotikos, -on, from narkoun make numb, from narke numbness: see -OTIC.]
A. noun.
1. Medicine. A drug inducing drowsiness, sleep, or anaesthesia when ingested or injected, esp. an opiate. LME.
K. A. Porter Drowsy and dazed with his narcotic but unable to sleep.
2. A drug affecting the mind and widely prohibited or controlled, but still sold and used illegally. Freq. in pl., illegal drugs. Orig. US. E20.
attrib.: W. S. Burroughs The narcotics squad had a warrant for him sworn out by the State Inspector.
B. adjective.
1. (Of a substance etc.) having the property of a narcotic; transf. producing sleep through boredom, excessively dull. E16.
C. Kingsley Stupid with mead made from narcotic heather honey. R. Lanciani To lose hours upon hours in listening to silly and narcotic lecturers.
2. Of the nature of narcosis. M17.
narcotical adjective (now rare) of a narcotic nature, soporific L16.
narcotically adverb M17.
narcoticism noun (rare) narcosis E19.