■ noun an addictive drug, especially an illegal one, that affects mood or behaviour.
↘ Medicine a drug which induces drowsiness, stupor, or insensibility and relieves pain.
■ adjective relating to ~s.
Derivatives
~ally adverb
narcotism noun
narcotize or narcotise verb
Origin
ME: from OFr. narcotique , via med. L. from Gk narkōtikos , from narkoun 'make numb'.