: a bitter crystalline addictive narcotic base C17H19NO3 that is the principal alkaloid of opium and is used in the form of a soluble salt (such as a hydrochloride or a sulfate) as an analgesic and sedative
Examples of morphine in a Sentence
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Epibatidine intrigued researchers for decades and was once highly sought after as a potential analgesic many times more powerful than morphine.
—
Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 15 Feb. 2026
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid and is included in data related to hydrocodone, oxycodone, methadone, morphine and heroin-related deaths.
—Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 9 Feb. 2026
Was such a high concentration of morphine even possible through breast-feeding alone?
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
But two nurses gave dramatically different accounts, saying Williamson was in no condition to be interviewed because of a painful open abdominal incision that required a continuous intravenous feed of morphine.
—Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
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Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 15 Feb. 2026
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid and is included in data related to hydrocodone, oxycodone, methadone, morphine and heroin-related deaths.
—Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 9 Feb. 2026
Was such a high concentration of morphine even possible through breast-feeding alone?
—Ben Taub, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
But two nurses gave dramatically different accounts, saying Williamson was in no condition to be interviewed because of a painful open abdominal incision that required a continuous intravenous feed of morphine.
—Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for morphine
Cite this Entry
“Morphine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/morphine. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
morphine
noun
mor·phine
ˈmȯr-ˌfēn 
: a bitter white habit-forming narcotic drug made from opium and used especially to deaden pain
Etymology
derived from Morpheus "Greek god of dreams"
Medical Definition
morphine
noun
mor·phine
ˈmȯr-ˌfēn
: a bitter crystalline addictive narcotic base C17H19NO3 that is the principal alkaloid of opium and is used in the form of its hydrated sulfate (C17H19NO3)2·H2SO4·5H2O or hydrated hydrochloride C17H19NO3·HCl·3H2O as an analgesic and sedative
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