Etymology

morphine

M3O1R1P3H4I1N1E1

Today it means: A crystalline alkaloid (4,5-epoxy-17-methyl-7,8-didehydromorphinan-3,6-diol), extracted from opium, the salts of which are soluble in water and are used as analgesics, anaesthetics and sedatives; it is one of a group of morphine alkaloids. Full definition →

German Morphin ← French morphine ← Ancient Greek Μορφεύς (Morpheús)
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The story

  1. Ancient Greekμορφή (morphḗ)
  2. Ancient GreekΜορφεύς (Morpheús)
  3. Frenchmorphine
  4. GermanMorphin
  5. English todaymorphine

Borrowed from French morphine or German Morphin, from Ancient Greek Μορφεύς (Morpheús, “the god and personification of dreams”).

Words from the same roots

Ancient GreekΜορφεύς all →

Morpheusin the arms of Morpheus

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.