narcotic — ODE

narcotic /nɑːˈkɒtɪk

▸ noun

1 mainly North American English a drug or other substance that affects mood or behaviour and is consumed for non-medical purposes, especially one sold illegally:

the narcotics were found stashed in their luggage

cultivation of a plant used to make a popular local narcotic

[as modifier] a narcotics trafficking operation.

2 Medicine a drug that relieves pain and induces drowsiness, stupor, or insensibility:

pethidine, usually given as an injection, is a narcotic which causes drowsiness.

▸ adjective

1 mainly North American English relating to or denoting drugs that affect mood or behaviour and are consumed for non-medical purposes:

consumption of narcotic substances.

2 Medicine having the effect of relieving pain and inducing drowsiness, stupor, or insensibility:

the substance has a mild narcotic effect.

– DERIVATIVES

narcotically adverb

narcotism /ˈnɑːkətɪz(ə)m

/ noun

– ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French narcotique, via medieval Latin from Greek narkōtikos, from narkoun ‘make numb’.