Laudanum

Pronunciation: /ˈlɔːdənəm/

Definitions of laudanum

noun a tincture of opium, containing morphine and codeine, used as a sedative or narcotic

Example Sentences

A1 I have never heard of laudanum before.

A2 The doctor prescribed laudanum for my pain.

B1 Laudanum was commonly used as a painkiller in the 19th century.

B2 The protagonist in the novel became addicted to laudanum.

C1 The pharmacist warned about the dangers of using laudanum excessively.

C2 The historical use of laudanum in medicine has been well-documented.

Examples of laudanum in a Sentence

formal The doctor prescribed laudanum to help alleviate the patient's pain.

informal I heard laudanum can really knock you out if you take too much.

slang Some people used to refer to laudanum as 'liquid gold' back in the day.

figurative She drowned her sorrows in a bottle of laudanum.

Grammatical Forms of laudanum

• past tense: laudanumed
• plural: laudanums
• comparative: more laudanum
• superlative: most laudanum
• present tense: laudanums
• future tense: will laudanum
• perfect tense: have laudanumed
• continuous tense: is laudanuming
• singular: laudanum
• positive degree: laudanum
• infinitive: to laudanum
• gerund: laudanuming
• participle: laudanumed

Origin and Evolution of laudanum

First Known Use: 1601 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'laudanum' originated from the Latin term 'laudare' which means 'to praise'.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to refer to a tincture of opium, laudanum's meaning has evolved over time to denote any alcoholic solution containing a medicinal substance.