opium
pronunciation
How to pronounce opium in British English:
UK [ˈəʊpiəm]
How to pronounce opium in American English:
US [ˈoʊpiəm]
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- Noun:
- an addictive narcotic extracted from seed capsules of the opium poppy
Word Origin
- opium
- opium: [14] Etymologically, opium means ‘little juice’. It comes via Latin from Greek ópion ‘poppy juice’, which originated as a diminutive form of opós ‘juice’. This in turn may be related to Persian āb ‘water’. The derivative opiate [16] comes via medieval Latin opiātus.
- opium (n.)
- late 14c., from Latin opium, from Greek opion "poppy juice, poppy," diminutive of opos "vegetable juice."Die Religion ist der Seufzer der bedrängten Kreatur, das Gemüth einer herzlosen Welt, wie sie der Geist geistloser Zustände ist. Sie ist das Opium des Volks. [Karl Marx, "Zur Kritik der Hegel'schen Rechts-Philosophie," in "Deutsch-Französische Jahrbücher," February, 1844] The British Opium War against China lasted from 1839-42; the name is attested from 1841.
Example
- 1. How hard should it try to suppress the opium trade ?
- 2. Refining the opium in-country makes smuggling it out much easier .
- 3. The habit of smoking opium was deplorable and basically destructive .
- 4. Completely eliminating the afghan opium trade would eliminate afghan opium revenues .
- 5. Afghanistan 's annual opium crop generates about $ 3 billion a year .