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codeine

[ koh-deen ]
/ ˈkoʊ din /
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noun Pharmacology.
a white, crystalline, slightly bitter alkaloid, C18H21NO3, obtained from opium, used in medicine chiefly as an analgesic or sedative and to inhibit coughing.
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Also co·de·ia [koh-dee-uh], /koʊˈdi ə/, co·de·i·na [koh-dee-ee-nuh]. /ˌkoʊ diˈi nə/.

Origin of codeine

1830–40; <Greek kṓde(ia) head, poppy-head + -ine2
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to codeine

drug, heroin, morphine, opiate, poppy, dope, hypnotic, papaverine, soporific, tar

How to use codeine in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for codeine

codeine
/ (ˈkəʊdiːn) /
noun
a white crystalline alkaloid prepared mainly from morphine and having a similar but milder action. It is used as an analgesic, an antidiarrhoeal, and to relieve coughing. Formula: C 18 H 21 NO 3

Word Origin for codeine

C19: from Greek kōdeia head of a poppy, from kōos hollow place + -ine ²
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for codeine

codeine
[ kō′dēn′ ]
An alkaloid narcotic derived from opium or morphine and used primarily as an analgesic and a cough suppressant. Chemical formula: C18H21NO3.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for codeine

codeine
[ (koh-deen) ]

A drug obtained from opium or morphine that is used as a pain reliever and cough remedy.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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