hydrocodone

hydrocodone — noun

1. a powerful drug used in medicine to stop pain or to reduce coughing, often combi

1.nounC2
Definition

a powerful drug used in medicine to stop pain or to reduce coughing, often combined with other ingredients, and which can become addictive if taken for a long time

Example

After the knee surgery, the surgeon prescribed hydrocodone to help with the pain.

collocation: prescribe + hydrocodone for pain

The pharmacist warned that hydrocodone can cause drowsiness and should not be mixed with alcohol.

warning register: do not mix with alcohol

Common collocations
  • prescribe hydrocodone
  • take hydrocodone
  • hydrocodone dependence
  • hydrocodone prescription
Synonyms
  • codeine

    weaker opioid from which hydrocodone is derived; used for mild to moderate pain

  • painkiller

    broader everyday term covering any drug that relieves pain, including non-opioids

  • narcotic

    formal legal and medical term for addictive opioid drugs

Grammar Patterns

prescribe + hydrocodone for [condition]

take + hydrocodone + to [purpose]

Usage Note

Typically used as an uncountable noun in medical writing. Frequently appears in pharmaceutical names such as 'hydrocodone bitartrate' or in combination with other drug names (e.g., 'hydrocodone and acetaminophen').

Common Mistakes

She took three hydrocodones today.
She took three hydrocodone pills today.
Hydrocodone is usually uncountable; use 'pills', 'tablets', or 'doses' for counting.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Hydrocodone and codeine are both prescription opioids derived from similar plant-based compounds, but hydrocodone is roughly six times stronger and carries a higher risk of dependence. Oxycodone is a closely related semi-synthetic opioid that is often prescribed for moderate to severe pain, while morphine serves as the standard medical reference point for opioid strength. In everyday language, 'painkiller' covers any drug that relieves pain — from aspirin to fentanyl — and is much broader than hydrocodone, which always refers to a specific controlled substance. For example, a doctor might prescribe hydrocodone for pain after dental surgery, whereas morphine would be reserved for severe hospital-managed pain.

codeine ↗oxycodonemorphine ↗painkiller ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • hydrocodone bitartrate
  • hydrocodone and acetaminophen

Prepositions

  • for pain
  • in combination with [other drug]

Etymology

GreekGermanEnglish

A modern pharmaceutical name built from hydro- (from Greek ὕδωρ, meaning 'water', referring to a hydrogenated form) and codone (from codeine, which itself comes from Greek κώδεια, 'poppy head'). The -one suffix is a standard ending used in organic chemistry for related compounds. The drug was first synthesized in Germany in the 1920s.