n.
an addictive drug, especially an illegal one, that affects mood or behaviour.
▸Medicine a drug which induces drowsiness, stupor, or insensibility and relieves pain.
adj.
relating to narcotics.
Derivative
- narcotically adv.
- narcotism n.
- narcotize
or narcotise v.
Etymology
ME: from OFr. narcotique, via med. L. from Gk narkōtikos, from narkoun ‘make numb’.
