laudanum

noun

lau·​da·​num ˈlȯd-nəm How to pronounce laudanum (audio)
ˈlȯ-də-nəm
1
: any of various formerly used preparations of opium
2
: a tincture of opium

Examples of laudanum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Anderson renders her character’s slow descent into virtual penury and laudanum addiction a genuinely heartrending experience, and her late-in-the-film breakdown about her uselessness stands as one of the decade’s great acting feats. — Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024 Telemachus took nepenthe, Juliet some kind of nightshade, Anna Karenina laudanum. — Martha McPhee, Vogue, 24 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

circa 1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of laudanum was circa 1603

Rhymes for laudanum

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Cite this Entry

“Laudanum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laudanum. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

laudanum

noun
lau·​da·​num ˈlȯd-nəm How to pronounce laudanum (audio)
-ᵊn-əm
: a formerly used preparation of opium

Medical Definition

laudanum

noun
lau·​da·​num ˈlȯd-nəm, -ᵊn-əm How to pronounce laudanum (audio)
1
: any of various formerly used preparations of opium
2
: a tincture of opium

More from Merriam-Webster on laudanum

Nglish: Translation of laudanum for Spanish Speakers

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