A powerful narcotic drug derived from opium, used medically for severe pain relief but highly addictive.
Named after Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams, by German pharmacist Friedrich Sertürner in 1803. The connection reflects the drug's sleep-inducing and dream-like effects when first isolated from opium.
Morphine was the first alkaloid ever isolated from a plant, marking the birth of modern pharmacology. Its discovery revolutionized both medicine and our understanding of how plant compounds could be purified and studied scientifically.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.