physic

American  

[fiz-ik] / ˈfɪz ɪk /

noun

• physics
  plural

1. a medicine that purges; cathartic; laxative.

2. any medicine; a drug or medicament.

3. Archaic. the medical art or profession.

4. Obsolete. natural science.

---

verb (used with object)

• physics,
  present (3rd person singular)
• physicked,
  past participle,  past
• physicking
  present participle

1. to treat with or act upon as a physic or medicine.

2. to work upon as a medicine does; relieve or cure.

physic British  

/ ˈfɪzɪk /

noun

1. rare a medicine or drug, esp a cathartic or purge

2. archaic the art or skill of healing

3. an archaic term for physics

---

verb

1. archaic (tr) to treat (a patient) with medicine

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• physicky
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• physics
  plural

Participles

• physicking
  present
• physicked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• physic
  simple
• physics
  simple
• have physicked
  perfect
• has physicked
  perfect
• am physicking
  progressive
• are physicking
  progressive
• is physicking
  progressive
• have been physicking
  perfect progressive
• has been physicking
  perfect progressive

Past

• physicked
  simple
• had physicked
  perfect
• was physicking
  progressive
• were physicking
  progressive
• had been physicking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will physic
  simple
• will have physicked
  perfect
• will be physicking
  progressive
• will have been physicking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of physic

First recorded in 1250–1300; (for the noun) Middle English fisyk(e), phisik(e), from Old French fisique, from Latin physica “natural science” ( Medieval Latin: “medical science”), from Greek physikḗ “science of nature,” noun use of feminine form of physikós “pertaining to nature,” from phýs(is) physis + -ikos -ic; verb derivative of the noun

Explanation

These days, asking the pharmacist for a physic to relieve your constipation will probably get you a blank stare; it's an old-fashioned, rarely-used term for "laxative." Physic comes from the Latin word for "study of nature," so it's unclear how it came to mean a "purging medicine." An almost-synonym is "cathartic," although that word is usually used to describe an emotional purging- like a good cry- rather than physical one. Don't confuse physic with physics, the scientific study of the interaction between energy and matter, or psychic, someone who can read minds and see the future.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

physic physics physicked physicking

A spiritual adviser to Oprah Winfrey and purveyor of physic memorabilia online, Williamson spent about a year seeking the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 27, 2023

Lord Sands in “Henry VIII”: ’Tis time to give ’em physic, their diseases are grown so catching.”

From Washington Post ● Apr. 16, 2020

Greenall’s Berkeley Square London Dry Gin summons, for him, “the atmosphere of an English physic garden in summer.”

From New York Times ● Dec. 11, 2012

Respectable practitioners of physic thought him brilliantly mad, philosophers thought him brilliantly sane.

From Time Magazine Archive

Phusis became the source of physic, which at first meant natural science and later was the word for medicine.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

“Think of this as a new physics that is being demonstrated on a quantum computer where classical methods fail,” Gambetta said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Henri Murison, the chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, told the BBC: "Eminent physicists have made the case for why this is particularly worrying, because it will lose physics talent across the country."

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

"But this originates from a very fundamental level of physics, which is the interference between different optical absorption processes."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026

"This flyby calibration effort validated the instrument's performance under dynamic conditions while also revealing the fascinating physics of planetary magnetism."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026

“Most people just see physics as numbers and letters on paper. But I see how those formulas show limits, boundaries. Of movement, gravity. Knowing means working with it, instead of against it.”

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

With despair in his heart he still wrote on, simply because the labour in which he had delight physicked the pains of impecuniosity.

From Curiosities of Impecuniosity by Somerville, H. G.

She had been petted, and physicked, and nursed, after the manner of only children, and grew up sickly as a matter of course.

From Trevlyn Hold by Wood, Mrs. Henry

The doctors came, physicked but did not bleed him, and yesterday morning he was better.

From The Greville Memoirs (Second Part) A Journal of the Reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1852 (Volume 1 of 3) by Greville, Charles

"No, we've had the 'lark,' and must now be physicked."

From Leslie Ross: or, Fond of a Lark by Bruce, Charles

If in high condition, the animal must first be bled and physicked.

From Domestic Animals History and description of the horse, mule, cattle, sheep, swine, poultry and farm dogs; with directions for their management, breeding, crossing, rearing, feeding, and preparation for a profitable market; also their diseases and remedies. Together with full directions for the management of the dairy. by Allen, Richard L.

Severe drain as this was on the medicine-chest, Magamba and his wife must have both wet and dry; and even others put in a claim, but were told they were too healthy to require physicking.

From The Discovery of the Source of the Nile by Speke, John Hanning

I have here a word or two to say to a mother who is always physicking her family.

From Advice to a Mother on the Management of Her Children by Chavasse, Pye Henry

Besides, the dog was a good creature, and deserved a good physicking; he did indeed.

From The Moonstone by Collins, Wilkie

Talk's a brew   Mischievous, heady, easy raised, whose sting   Is ill to bear, and not by physicking   Voided.

From In a Green Shade A Country Commentary by Hewlett, Maurice Henry

So given was he to physicking himself, that it occurred to him as a natural thing to use his drugs in order to gain a few quiet literary days.

From Sir Walter Ralegh A Biography by Stebbing, W. (William)