codeine

noun

co·​deine ˈkō-ˌdēn 

: a morphine derivative C₁₈H₂₁NO₃·H₂O that is found in opium, is weaker in action than morphine, and is used especially as an analgesic and antitussive

Examples of codeine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The order moves cannabis from a Schedule I drug, a category that includes heroin and LSD, to a Schedule III drug, a category including ketamine, Tylenol with codeine and steroids. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 19 Dec. 2025

Includes codeine, ketamine, steroids, testosterone and others. —Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 19 Dec. 2025

This includes ketamine, anabolic steroids, testosterone and products containing less than 90 milligrams of codeine per dosage unit, like Tylenol with codeine. —Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 18 Dec. 2025

Schedule 3 drugs include things like, ketamine, anabolic steroids and some acetaminophen-codeine combinations. —Joyce Orlando, Nashville Tennessean, 18 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French codéine, from Greek kṓdeia "seed capsule of a poppy plant" (probably of pre-Greek substratal origin) + -ine -ine entry 2

Note: The name was introduced by the French chemist Pierre Jean Robiquet (1780-1840) in "Nouvelles Observations sur les principaux Produits de l'Opium," Annales de chemie et de physique, tome 51 (1832), p. 264.

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

codeine

noun

co·​deine ˈkō-ˌdēn 

ˈkōd-ē-ən

: a drug that is obtained from opium, is weaker than morphine, and is used as a pain reliever and in cough remedies

Medical Definition

codeine

noun

co·​deine ˈkō-ˌdēn, ˈkōd-ē-ən 

: a morphine derivative that is found in opium, is weaker in action than morphine, and is used chiefly in the form of its sulfate (C₁₈H₂₁NO₃)₂·H₂SO₄ or phosphate C₁₈H₂₁NO₃·H₃PO₄ especially as a pain reliever and cough suppressant

Although codeine is potentially addicting, it rarely causes physical dependence when taken orally for a short time.

—Consumer Reports