Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An alkaloid narcotic, C18H21NO3, derived from opium or morphine and used as a cough suppressant, analgesic, and hypnotic.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A white crystalline alkaloid (C18H21NO3 + H2O) contained in opium to the extent of 0.1 to 0.8 per cent. It is used as a hypnotic and to quiet coughs and pain. Also written codein, codeina, and codeia.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Chem.) One of the opium alkaloids; a white crystalline substance, C18H21NO3, similar to and regarded as a derivative of morphine, but much feebler in its action; -- called also codeia.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun pharmacology An addictive alkaloid narcotic derived from opium and used as a hypnotic, analgesic and cough suppressant; often mixed with aspirin etc.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun derivative of opium; used as an antitussive (to relieve coughing) and an analgesic (to relieve pain)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French codéine : Greek kōdeia, poppy head (from kōos, cavity; see keuə- in Indo-European roots) + -ine, alkaloid; see –ine.]

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