The chemical compound diacetylmorphine, a powerful opioid pain medication; the active ingredient in the drug heroin.
From 'di-' (two) plus 'morphine', because the molecule contains two acetyl groups added to morphine. This term was coined in the early 1900s when the drug was synthesized and marketed as a 'safe' morphine substitute—a claim that proved tragically false.
Bayer Pharmaceutical Company originally marketed diamorphine as a 'heroic' cure for morphine addiction in 1898, naming it 'Heroin' because they thought it was the hero drug—ironically creating one of history's most addictive substances.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.