/ ˈəʊpiəm; NAmE ˈoʊ-/ noun
[ U ] a powerful drug made from the juice of a type of poppy (= a kind of flower), used in the past in medicines to reduce pain and help people sleep. Some people take opium illegally for pleasure and can become addicted to it.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : via Latin from Greek opion poppy juice, from opos juice, from an Indo-European root meaning water.