opium poppy
noun
: an annual Eurasian poppy (Papaver somniferum) cultivated since antiquity as the source of opium, for its edible oily seeds, or for its showy flowers
Examples of opium poppy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump’s threat to cut off funding would cause Colombia to lose its largest provider of economic and military assistance in the fight against drug trafficking, including resources for the eradication of illicit crops such as coca and opium poppies, which are used to produce cocaine and heroin.
—
Fernando Ramos, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2025
Typically, the process of producing hydrocodone from opium poppies can take two years between farming, harvesting and extraction, Smolke said in an interview with CNBC.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 7 July 2025
Afghan Saffron's co-founder Milad Sadat, spearheaded a transformative shift, empowering Afghan farmers to cultivate saffron instead of opium poppies.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
How fentanyl flooded into the illicit opioid market in the United States.
Unlike heroin, which is derived from the opium poppy, fentanyl is entirely synthesized in labs.
—Moises Velasquez-Manoff, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025
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Fernando Ramos, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2025
Typically, the process of producing hydrocodone from opium poppies can take two years between farming, harvesting and extraction, Smolke said in an interview with CNBC.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 7 July 2025
Afghan Saffron's co-founder Milad Sadat, spearheaded a transformative shift, empowering Afghan farmers to cultivate saffron instead of opium poppies.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
How fentanyl flooded into the illicit opioid market in the United States.
Unlike heroin, which is derived from the opium poppy, fentanyl is entirely synthesized in labs.
—Moises Velasquez-Manoff, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opium poppy
Cite this Entry
“Opium poppy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opium%20poppy. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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