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codeine

[ koh-deen ]
/ ˈkoʊ din /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR codeine ON THESAURUS.COM

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

Words nearby codeine

codec, codeclination, code dating, codefendant, code flag, codeine, code name, Code Napoléon, cod end, Code of Hammurabi, co-dependency
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to codeine

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

Example sentences from the Web for codeine

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

Medical definitions for codeine

codeine
[ kō′dēn′ ]

n.

An alkaloid narcotic derived from opium or morphine and used as a cough suppressant, analgesic, and hypnotic.methylmorphine
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

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.