opioid
Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word opioid. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word opioid, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say opioid in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word opioid you have here. The definition of the word opioid will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofopioid, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
Attested 1963; from opium + -oid, to distinguish from opiate.
Pronunciation
Noun
opioid (plural opioids)
- A substance that has effects similar to opium:
- (physiology) Any of the natural substances, such as an endorphin, released in the body in response to pain; an endogenous opioid.
- (pharmacology) Any of a group of synthetic compounds that exhibit similarities to the opium alkaloids that occur in nature.
- Hyponym: opiate