Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Topic: DRUGS, MEDICINES

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: drogue

drug

1 noun
     
drug1 S2 W1 [countable]
1MDD an illegal substance such as marijuana or cocaine, which some people take in order to feel happy, relaxed, or excitedCOLLOCATIONS COLLOCATIONS
take/use drugs do drugs informal (=take drugs) be on drugs (=take drugs regularly) experiment with drugs (=try taking drugs) come off drugs (=stop taking drugs permanently) high on drugs (=experiencing the effects of a drug) hard drugs (=strong drugs such as heroin, cocaine etc) soft drugs (=less strong drugs such as marijuana) recreational drugs (=drugs people take for pleasure) drug abuse drug overdose (=when someone takes too much of a drug and becomes unconscious or dies) drug trafficking/smuggling (=bringing drugs into a country)
A lot of young people start taking drugs at school.
One third of America's thirteen-year-olds use drugs.
I don't drink, and I don't do drugs.
She always looks as though she's on drugs.
All the band experimented with drugs, particularly LSD.
Parents should talk openly to their children about the dangers of drug abuse.
Jimi Hendrix died of a drug overdose.
After being returned to the USA he was convicted on drug trafficking charges.
the war on drugs
2MD a medicine, or a substance for making medicines:
a drug used in the treatment of cancer
drug for
new drugs for AIDS-related conditions
Drugs prescribed (=ordered for people) by doctors can be extremely hazardous if used in the wrong way
The big drug companies make huge profits.
3 a substance that people doing a sport sometimes take illegally to improve their performance:
She was banned from the Olympics after failing a drug test (=a test that shows if you have taken drugs).
4 [usually singular] a substance such as tobacco, coffee, or alcohol, that makes you want more and more of it
5

be (like) a drug

if an activity is like a drug, you enjoy it so much that you want to do it more and more:
Athletics is like a drug, it keeps dragging you back for more.
Definition of drug from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English within
the topic DRUGS, MEDICINES
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