chief alkaloid of opium (used as a narcotic pain-killer), 1828, from French morphine or German Morphin (1816), name coined by German apothecary Friedrich Sertürner (1783-1840) in reference to Latin Morpheus (q.v.), Ovid's name for the god of dreams, from Greek morphē "form, shape, beauty, outward appearance," which is of unknown origin. So called because of the drug's sleep-inducing properties.

"morphine" in Latin form, 1818; see morphine.

"mad craving for morphine," 1885; see morphine + mania. Other words in the same sense were morphinism (1875, after German Morphiumsucht); morphiomania (1876). Related: Morphinomaniac; morphiomaniac.

as a noun, in biology, "genetic variant of an animal," 1955; as a verb, in cinematic special effects, c. 1987, short for metamorphosis. Related: Morphed; morphing. Earlier it was a slang shortening of morphine (1912).

synthetic analgesic used as a substitute for morphine or heroin in treatment of addiction, 1947, generic designation for 6-dimethylamino-4, 4-diphenyl-3-heptanone. For origins of the syllables, see methyl + amino- + di- + -one.

1928 (morphine barbiturate is from 1918), with chemical ending -ate (3) + barbituric (1865), from German barbitur in Barbitursäure "barbituric acid," coined 1863 by chemist Adolf von Baeyer. The reason for the name is unknown; some suggest it is from the woman's name Barbara, or perhaps from Latin barbata, in Medieval Latin usnea barbata, literally "bearded moss." Second element is because it was obtained from uric acid. Related: Barbitol.