OPIUM

opium

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

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

opium (countable and uncountable, plural opiums or opia)

(uncountable) A yellow-brown, addictive narcotic drug obtained from the dried juice of unripe pods of the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, and containing alkaloids such as morphine, codeine, and papaverine.

(countable) Anything that numbs or stupefies.

• "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, . . . It is the opium of the people." - Karl Marx

Synonyms

• See also recreational drug

Source: Wiktionary


O"pi*um, n. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. (Chem.)

Definition: The inspissated juice of the Papaver somniferum, or white poppy.

Note: Opium is obtained from incisions made in the capsules of the plant, and the best flows from the first incision. It is imported into Europe and America chiefly from the Levant, and large quantities are sent to China from India, Persia, and other countries. It is of a brownish yellow color, has a faint smell, and bitter and acrid taste. It is a stimulant narcotic poison, which may produce hallicinations, profound sleep, or death. It is much used in medicine to soothe pain and inflammation, and is smoked as an intoxicant with baneful effects. Opium joint, a low resort of opium smokers. [Slang]

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, on 25 September 2016, the Birla Institute of Management Technology (India) in Uttar Pradesh, India, constructed the largest coffee cups pyramid consisting of 23,821 cups. They used paper takeaway coffee cups to build the pyramid.

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