oxycodone

[ ok-see-koh-dohn ]

noun

, Pharmacology.

1. an opioid analgesic, C 18 H 21 NO 4 , used to treat moderate to severe pain.

Word History and Origins

Origin of oxycodone¹

First recorded in 1950–55; oxy- ²( def ) + cod(eine) ( def ) + -one ( def )

Example Sentences

“I've heard a lot of people say, ‘Well, it's not as bad as oxycodone or it's not as bad as opioids.’

From Salon

While oxycodone and other addictive prescription painkillers kicked off the opioid epidemic in the U.S, synthetic drugs such as fentanyl have become the drug responsible for the most overdose deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

From Los Angeles Times

There are an average of 49 drug poisoning deaths weekly involving opiates - such as heroin, oxycodone, fentanyl and including synthetic opioids - across England and Wales, the latest official figures suggest.

From BBC

“At least nine victims who purchased counterfeit pills from the defendants died of narcotics poisoning, including a 45-year-old army veteran who thought she was purchasing real oxycodone.”

From Salon

In one message, intercepted in October 2013, Oseguera González “agreed to release a chemist who had been kidnapped” so that he could manufacture oxycodone, a synthetic opioid often pressed into counterfeit prescription pills with fentanyl, according to prosecutors.

From Los Angeles Times