Drugs containing opium or opium derivatives that reduce pain and often cause drowsiness; painkillers derived from the poppy plant.
From Greek 'opion,' meaning 'poppy juice.' The suffix '-ate' in chemistry indicates a salt or derivative, so an opiate is a compound derived from opium.
Opiates are one of humanity's oldest medicines—opium poppies were cultivated thousands of years ago—but they're also a perfect example of how the same chemical can be a blessing for pain relief and a curse for addiction.
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