laudanum

Meanings

Noun

• A tincture of opium, once widely used for various medical purposes and as a recreational drug.

Verb

• To add laudanum to (a drink or the like).
• To cause (a person) to be high on laudanum.

Origin

• From New Latin, from Latin laudō, or ladanum, from Ancient Greek λάδανον. Originally the same word as ladanum, labdanum, compare French laudanum, Italian laudano, ladano. See ladanum.
• Used by Paracelsus to refer to ladanum gum, and to a compound recipe containing pearls, but apparently not to any preparation of opium; this modern sense was introduced by his followers (Sigerist 1941:540–1).