Other forms: narcotics
A narcotic is a drug that dulls pain and the senses. Effective, and often addictive.
The word is used loosely and precisely at once. Medically it means an opioid such as morphine, which relieves severe pain and induces drowsiness. In American law it covers illegal drugs generally, including ones that are nothing like opioids, which is why the phrase narcotics squad covers so much ground. As an adjective it means having that dulling effect, so a narcotic effect can be produced by heat and boredom too.
1nounnarcoticA drug that relieves pain and dulls the senses.
“He was given a narcotic for the first two nights.”
A narcotic numbs. Greek narkē meant numbness or torpor and narkoō was to benumb, so the drug is named for what it takes away rather than what it gives.
Ancient Greek
ναρκωτῐκόν
Medieval Latin
narcōticum
Old French
narcotique
Middle French
narcotique
Middle English
narcotyk
English, today
narcotic
Built from
From Middle English narcotyk, from Middle French narcotique (from Old French narcotique, noun use of adjective) and directly from Medieval Latin narcōticum, from Ancient Greek ναρκωτῐκόν, neuter of ναρκωτῐκός, from Ancient Greek ναρκόω (“to benumb”), from νάρκη (“numbness, torpor”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA