opiate
Meaning of opiate: An opiate is a pain-relieving substance derived directly from opium, a narrower category than the broader term opioid, which also includes synthetic drugs.
Definition of opiate
An opiate is a substance derived from opium, the dried extract of the opium poppy, used to relieve pain or induce sleep. Natural opiates, including morphine and codeine, act by binding to opioid receptors located throughout the central nervous system, reducing the perception of pain and producing other effects such as sedation.
Opiate is sometimes used interchangeably with the broader term opioid, though the two are not identical. Opiate refers specifically to substances derived directly from opium, while opioid is a wider category that also includes synthetic and semisynthetic drugs designed to act on the same receptors without being derived from the poppy plant itself.
Because opiates act on receptors involved in both pain relief and other nervous system functions, their use carries recognized risks, including sedation, slowed breathing at higher doses, and the potential for dependence with repeated use over time.
Used in a sentence
The patient's medication history included an opiate prescribed for postoperative pain.
Good to know
Opiate refers specifically to substances derived from opium itself, while opioid is the broader term that also covers synthetic drugs acting on the same receptors, a distinction sometimes blurred in everyday use.
Word origin
Where “opiate” comes from
Formed from Greek opion, meaning poppy juice, the source from which opium and its derivatives take their name.