heroin
/ˈhɛɹoʊən/
noun
Common
1.n.a narcotic that is considered a hard drug; a highly addictive morphine derivative; intravenous injection provides the fastest and most intense rush
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heroin and heroine are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. heroin means “a narcotic that is considered a hard drug; a highly addictive morphine derivative; intravenous injection provides the fastest and most intense rush”. heroine means “the main good female character in a work of fiction”. heroin is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈhɛɹoʊən/
1.n.a narcotic that is considered a hard drug; a highly addictive morphine derivative; intravenous injection provides the fastest and most intense rush
/ˈhɛɹoʊən/
| heroin | heroine | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈhɛɹoʊən/ | /ˈhɛɹoʊən/ |
| Said | HER-oh-uhn | HER-oh-uhn |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Letters | 6 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | noun | noun |
| Senses | 1 | 2 |
| How common | Common | Familiar |
| Synonyms | diacetylmorphine | none recorded |
Full entry for heroin · Full entry for heroine · More comparisons
1.n.the main good female character in a work of fiction
2.n.a woman possessing heroic qualities or a woman who has performed heroic deeds