laudanum means any of several tinctures of opium, once widely used for various medical purposes and as a recreational drug. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 84 out of 100.
laudanum is pronounced /ˈlɔːdənəm/.
Why “laudanum” is a great word
LAUDANUM — [Noun] A tincture of opium dissolved in alcohol, historically used as a potent medicinal and recreational narcotic. Its name descends from New Latin laudanum, a variant of lādanum ("a gum resin"), from Ancient Greek λᾱ́δανον (lā́danon, "labdanum, a resinous gum"); the term was repurposed by Paracelsus in the 16th century for a medicinal compound, later coming to denote an opium preparation. Unlike "morphine" (which names a purified, isolated alkaloid) or "paregoric" (which specifies a camphorated, diluted tincture for coughs and flux), laudanum is the crude, liquid totality of the poppy's sorrows. It is the brown bottle in the Victorian nightstand, the desperate teaspoon swallowed to mute a world of pain, and the hazed, amber glow softening the sharp edges of a drawing room—the nineteenth century's liquid ghost, haunting the space between remedy and ruin.
Etymology
From New Latin, from lādanum (“a gum resin”), from Ancient Greek λᾱ́δανον (lā́danon). Originally the same word as ladanum, labdanum, compare French laudanum, Italian laudano, ladano. Perhaps influenced by Latin laudō (“to praise”). 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).
noun
- Any of several tinctures of opium, once widely used for various medical purposes and as a recreational drug.“Ever since my recovery from the fever I had been in the custom of taking every night a small quantity of laudanum; for it was by means of this drug only that I was enabled to gain the rest necessary for the preservation of life.”
verb
- To add laudanum to (a drink or the like).
- To cause (a person) to be high on laudanum.