pharmacy
Americannoun
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pharmacies
plural
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Also called pharmaceutics. the art and science of preparing and dispensing drugs and medicines.
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a drugstore.
noun
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Also called: pharmaceutics. the practice or art of preparing and dispensing drugs
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a dispensary
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of pharmacy
1645–55; earlier pharmacia < Medieval Latin < Greek pharmakeía druggist's work. See pharmaco-, -y 3
Explanation
A pharmacy is where you go when you need to fill a prescription for medicine. Hospitals have pharmacies, but you can also find retail pharmacies in most cities and towns. The technique of making medicine and dispensing it is also known as pharmacy, and people who practice this kind of science are pharmacists. If your doctor diagnoses an infection, it's your friendly neighborhood pharmacist who measures your antibiotics, packages them for you, and instructs you on how much and how often to take them. The Greek root is pharmakeia, which means "medicines or cure," but also "witchcraft, spells, or potions."
Vocabulary lists containing pharmacy
Unit 4
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Sovaldi was a truly amazing breakthrough, and we want the biotech and pharmacy industry to continue its impressive track record of pursuing innovative new therapeutics.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
"My first choice is to study medicine at Glasgow uni, and my insurance is pharmacy at Newcastle," she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
A pharmacy employee said the supplier had been so overwhelmed by orders that it could no longer make deliveries itself, forcing it to ship the glasses by Uber.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
Later that month, ICE awarded multimillion dollar no-bid contracts to two companies tasked with taking over claims processing: Acentra Health for healthcare services and Ardent Group for pharmacy services.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
I watch from the window as Nana drives off to the pharmacy or wherever.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
Eli Lilly is suing six pharmacies alleging that they are selling illegal versions of retatrutide, its still-experimental but highly anticipated weight-loss shot.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
The scramble for protective glasses has reached fever pitch across Europe ahead of Wednesday's rare total solar eclipse, as pharmacies, opticians and other shops struggle to keep them in stock.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
Compounding pharmacies, which mix bespoke drugs, are a loophole in the U.S. regulatory system.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Those treatments also may be available for same-day pickup at CVS pharmacies, the company said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Baba and Rahim Khan built a wildly successful carpet-exporting business, two pharmacies, and a restaurant.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
