See also: heroin, heróín, and hê-rô-in

German edit

Etymology 1 edit

Invented as a brand name by the German pharmaceutical company Bayer, which started marketing heroine in 1895. The name was coined to evoke heroisch (heroic), ultimately from Greek ἥρως (hḗrōs, hero).

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /heʁoˈiːn/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: He‧ro‧in

Noun edit

Heroin n (strong, genitive Heroins, no plural)

  1. heroin
    Synonyms: Diacetylmorphin n, Diamorphin n
    • 1982, “Ganz Wien”, in Einzelhaft, performed by Falco:
      Ganz Wien / Ist heit auf Heroin / Ganz Wien / Träumt mit Mozambin / Ganz Wien, Wien, Wien / Greift auch zu Kokain
      All of Vienna / Is on heroin the day / All of Vienna / Dreams with Mozambine / All of Vienna, Vienna, Vienna / Also uses cocaine
Declension edit
Descendants edit
  • English: heroin
  • Polish: heroina

Further reading edit

Etymology 2 edit

From Heros +‎ -in. Alteration of the variant Heroine, which is from Latin heroina.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /heˈʁoː.ɪn/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: He‧ro‧in

Noun edit

Heroin f (genitive Heroin, plural Heroinnen)

  1. (learned, higher register) female hero
    Synonym: Heldin
  2. (theater) heroine, female protagonist
Declension edit
Alternative forms edit

Further reading edit