Plain English Meaning
A prescription pain and cough medicine that dulls the brain and slows you down. You cannot fly while it is still working in your body.
Full Definition
An opioid drug used as a painkiller and as a cough suppressant, available by prescription and sometimes found in combination cold or pain medications. Codeine causes drowsiness, slowed reaction time, impaired judgment, and dizziness, and is disqualifying for flight operations while it is in the pilot's system.
Context Anchor
Seen in aviation medical and drug-use discussions, especially when deciding whether a medication is safe before a flight.
Derivation
From the Greek 'kodeia,' meaning 'poppy head.' Codeine is extracted from the opium poppy, the same plant that produces morphine. Knowing it is an opioid signals immediately that it belongs to the family of drugs that impair alertness and coordination.