Medicine Definition

English

Etymology

Middle English medicin < Old French < Latin medicīna (“the healing art, medicine, a physician's shop, a remedy, medicine”), feminine of medicinus (“of or belonging to physic or surgery, or to a physician or surgeon”) < medicus (“a physician, surgeon”) < medeor (“I heal”).

Pronunciation

• (US) enPR: ˈme-də-sən, IPA: /ˈmɛ.də.sɪn/
• (UK) enPR: ˈmed-sən, IPA: /ˈmɛd.sən/

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Noun

medicine (plural medicines)

1. A substance which specifically promotes healing when ingested or consumed in some way.
2. A treatment or cure.
3. The study of the cause, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of disease or illness.
4. The profession of physicians, surgeons and related specialisms; those who practice medicine.
5. Ritual Native American magic used (notably by a medicine man) to promote a desired outcome in healing, hunting, warfare etc.
6. (obsolete) black magic, superstition.

Synonyms

• (treatment): regimen, course, program, prescription
• (substance): drug, prescription, pharmaceutical, elixir
• See also Wikisaurus:medicine
• See also Wikisaurus:pharmaceutical

Derived terms

Related terms

• medic
• medicament
• medication
• medicate
• medicinal
• premedication

See also

• therapy
• panacaea

References

• Prescription Desk Reference, Prescription Drug Information:
• “medicine” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.
• "medicine" in the Merriam-Webster On-line dictionary
• "medicine" in the Hutchinson Encyclopaedia, Helicon Publishing LTD 2007.
• medicine in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• medicine at OneLook Dictionary Search

Italian

Noun

medicine f.

1. plural form of medicina

Anagrams

• endemici

Middle French

Etymology

Old French medecine, with the i added back to reflect the original Latin medicina.

Noun

medicine f. (uncountable)

1. medicine (act of practising medical treatment)

Descendants

• French: médecine

Related 'Medicine' Searches:

See Also:

• Medicine