a white odourless bitter-tasting crystalline powder related to morphine: a highly addictive narcotic. Formula: C21H23NO5
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
her•o•in /ˈhɛroʊɪn/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Drugsa white powder made from morphine that is narcotic and addictive.
her•o•in
(her′ō in),USA pronunciation n. [Pharm.]
- Drugsa white, crystalline, narcotic powder, C21H23NO5, derived from morphine, formerly used as an analgesic and sedative: manufacture and importation of heroin are now controlled by federal law in the U.S. because of the danger of addiction. Also called diacetylmorphine, diamorphine.
- Greek hērō-, stem of hé̄rōs hero + German -in -in2; allegedly so called from the feelings of power and euphoria which it stimulates
- German Heroin
- 1895–1900; formerly trademark;
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'Heroin' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
China White
- Golden Triangle
- H, h
- abstinence
- bang
- brown sugar
- class A drug
- connection
- controlled substance
- cook up
- cyclazocine
- deck
- diacetylmorphine
- diamorphine
- dragon
- fix
- gateway drug
- hard
- hard drug
- horse
- jack up
- jones
- junk
- junkie
- kick
- main line
- methadone
- misuser
- naltrexone
- narcotic
- nickel
- on
- opiate
- pusher
- rogue
- scag
- scat
- score
- shit
- shoot
- smack
- smackhead
- snow
- speedball
- uncut
- withdraw
- wrap