An alkaloid compound found in opium and certain plants, related to codeine but with different chemical properties.
From Greek 'kodeia' meaning poppy head, combining 'kod-' (poppy) with the suffix '-eia' indicating a substance or condition. The term was adapted into scientific nomenclature in the 19th century when chemists were isolating various alkaloids from opium.
Codeia is one of those words that bridges ancient plant knowledge and modern chemistry—the Greeks already had a name for poppy heads, and scientists just added scientific suffixes to describe what they found inside them!
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