heroin
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a powerful and illegal drug made from opium that people often inject or smoke.
a potent, highly addictive semi-synthetic opioid derived from morphine; it is classified as a Schedule I narcotic in many jurisdictions.
Simple“The police arrested the man for selling heroin near the park.”
In context“Public health officials are implementing new harm-reduction strategies to combat the rising number of heroin overdoses in urban areas.”
UsageUncountable when referring to the substance in general; countable only in specific forensic or chemical contexts.
Teacher's tipLearners frequently confuse the spelling of this drug with 'heroine' (a female hero). Note that the drug never has an 'e' at the end.
PitfallThe story's heroin was very brave. The story's heroine was very brave.Do not confuse 'heroin' (the drug) with 'heroine' (a female hero). They sound the same but have different spellings and meanings.
“Drugs such as heroin were seen as dangerous and bad, so they were banned.”
“Cravings ‘like heroin withdrawal’: what happens when weight-loss drugs don’t work?”