heroin
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
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.[1]
Noun
heroin (countable and uncountable, plural heroins)
- A powerful and addictive drug derived from opium producing intense euphoria, classed as an illegal narcotic in most of the world. [from late 19th century]
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:heroin
- 1967, “Heroin”, in Lou Reed (music), The Velvet Underground & Nico, performed by The Velvet Underground:
- 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
- 1972, “King Heroin”, in Manny Rosen (lyrics), There It Is, performed by James Brown:
- 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
- 2009: Stuart Heritage, Hecklerspray, Friday the 22nd of May in 2009 at 1 o’clock p.m., “Jon & Kate Latest: People You Don’t Know Do Crap You Don’t Care About”
- 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.
- 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:
- Yeah, it does, though, it does. Heroin works basically everywhere because it’s heroin. It’s not a cellphone. Heroin has full coverage.
- 2017, Tim Carvell [et al.], “Confederacy”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 4, episode 26, John Oliver (actor), Warner Bros. Television, via HBO:
- Okay, wel-, I’ll tell you where it stops: somewhere! Anytime someone asks, “Where does it stop?”, the answer is always fucking somewhere! You might let your kid have Twizzlers, but not inject black tar heroin! You d-You don’t just go, “Well, after the Twizzlers, where does it stop?”!
- 2019 January 21, Alex Hern, “‘Heroin for middle-class nerds’: how Warhammer conquered gaming”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC:
- That’s because the second thing to know about Games Workshop is, as Gillen says, that Warhammer was what middle-class nerds did instead of heroin. It was just as expensive, and probably no better for your social life.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
powerful and addictive drug
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References
- Marcus Aurin (2000 September) “Chasing the Dragon: The Cultural Metamorphosis of Opium in the United States, 1825-1935”, in Medical Anthropology Quarterly, volume 14, number 3, , pages 414-441
Further reading
Etymology 2
Noun
heroin (plural heroins)
- Obsolete form of heroine.
- 1710, Eginardus [pseudonym; Delarivier Manley], Memoirs of Europe, Towards the Close of the Eighth Century. […], London: […] John Morphew, […], pages 276–277:
- Strictly Orthodox, Porcia has bent her Fortune and Applications to the Advantage of the true Religion. In a word, no Perfection is feeble, or ſhines dim in Porcia; all is ſtrenuous, bright, confirm’d, and unexceptionable. She only is worthy to ſupply the Loſs of Ximena, in ſo great a Breaſt as Horatio’s, were Fortune to do what Merit has done, wou’d ſhe not make the Union? Where more juſtly cou’d we beſtow the Charms of a Heroin, who has done all things for Vertue and Honour, than in the Arms of a Hero, who has left nothing undone for Fame and Glory?
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