She was hospitalized Aug. 28 after going into cardiac arrest during outpatient surgery for her throat. Dan Steinberg/AP Joan Rivers shows off her diva necklace during arrivals for the 44th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in 2002.
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia. narcotics. n. 1) techinically, drugs which dull the senses. 2) a popular generic term for drugs which cannot be legally possessed, sold, or transported except for medicinal uses for which a physician or dentist's prescription is required.
Narcotic, drug that produces analgesia (pain relief), narcosis (state of stupor or sleep), and addiction (physical dependence on the drug). In some people narcotics also produce euphoria (a feeling of great elation). A brief treatment of narcotics follows. For full treatment, see drug use.