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 process could end with marijuana being reclassified from a Schedule I drug (alongside heroin and LSD) to a Schedule III drug (think Tylenol with codeine). —Will Yakowicz, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025

Schedule 3 drugs include things like ketamine, anabolic steroids and some acetaminophen-codeine combinations. —Jordan Green, Nashville Tennessean, 13 Aug. 2025

Previously, reclassification discussions have centered on moving the drug to Schedule III, a class that includes steroids and Tylenol with codeine. —Alex Harring,brandon Gomez, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2025

The prescriptions included promethazine with codeine and oxycodone, a powerful opioid painkiller with a high risk of addiction and abuse, court documents show. —Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 19 July 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;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