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codeine

[ koh-deen ]
/ ˈkoʊ din /
|
SEE MORE 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.

RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

  1. codec,
  2. codeclination,
  3. coded,
  4. codefendant,
  5. codeia,
  6. codependent,
  7. coder,
  8. codetermination,
  9. codeword,
  10. codex
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. 2019

Examples 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

Word Origin and History for codeine

codeine

n.

alkaloid present in opium, 1838, from French codéine, coined, with chemical suffix -ine (2), from Greek kodeia "poppy head," related to kooz "prison," literally "hollow place;" kodon "bell, mouth of a trumpet;" koilos "hollow," from PIE root *kel- (see cell). Originally codeina; modern form is from 1881.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Medicine 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.

Science 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.

Culture 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.