Heroin Meaning
/ˈhɛɹoʊ.ɪn/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA powerful and addictive drug derived from opium producing intense euphoria, classed as an illegal narcotic in most of the world.
nounObsolete spelling of heroine.
Sentence Examples
The police searched the house and seized 2 kilograms of heroin.
He is a heroin addict.
Heroin isn't a good thing. Stay away from it!
CEFR Practice Quiz
The white powder found at the scene was a dangerous drug known as ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The government has launched a new campaign to warn young people about the extreme dangers of ____.
Word Origin & History
Since the 1890s, from German Heroin, originally a trademark, from Ancient Greek ἥρως (hḗrōs, “hero”) and the suffix -in (“-ine”). Said to have been called thus to evoke quick and sweeping effect as a painkiller and cough suppressant (its original uses). Alternatively explained as a reference to the heroic school of medicine.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Wow, that heroin is in my blood / And the blood is in my head / Yeah, thank God that I'm good as dead / Ooohhh, thank your God that I'm not aware / And thank God that I just don't care / And I guess I just don't know"
— 1967, “Heroin”, in Lou Reed (music), The Velvet Underground & Nico, performed by The Velvet Underground:
"I saw a real strange, weird object / Standing up talking to the people / And I found out it was heroin / That deadly drug that go in your veins"
— 1972, “King Heroin”, in Manny Rosen (lyrics), There It Is, performed by James Brown:
"The reason why Jon & Kate Plus 8 is such a hot topic is because it might all be a sham. It’s been claimed that Jon has a string of mistresses, that Kate had an affair with her bodyguard and that Baby Number Six is actually a shaved Ewok with a catastrophic heroin addiction. Or something."
— 2009 May 22, Stuart Heritage, “Jon & Kate Latest: People You Don’t Know Do Crap You Don’t Care About”, in Hecklerspray, archived from the original on 15 Apr 2024:
"Fentanyl, which looks like heroin, is a powerful synthetic painkiller that has been laced into heroin but is increasingly being sold by itself — often without the user’s knowledge."
— 2016 March 25, Katharine Q. Seelye, “Heroin Epidemic Is Yielding to a Deadlier Cousin: Fentanyl”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 09 Aug 2021:
"Yeah, it does, though, it does. Heroin works basically everywhere because it’s heroin. It’s not a cellphone. Heroin has full coverage."
— 2016, Tim Carvell [et al.], “Opiods”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 3, episode 27, John Oliver (actor), Warner Bros. Television, via HBO:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The white powder found at the scene was a dangerous drug known as ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The government has launched a new campaign to warn young people about the extreme dangers of ____.