Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

suppository

American  
[suh-poz-i-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / səˈpɒz ɪˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

noun

  • suppositories
    plural
  1. a solid, conical mass of medicinal substance that melts upon insertion into the rectum or vagina.


suppository British  
/ səˈpɒzɪtərɪ, -trɪ /

noun

  1. med an encapsulated or solid medication for insertion into the vagina, rectum, or urethra, where it melts and releases the active substance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of suppository

1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin suppositōrium, equivalent to supposi-, variant stem of suppōnere ( see suppose) + -tōrium -tory 1


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:

By Wednesday evening, only three boxes of generic ibuprofen chewables, two boxes of generic acetaminophen chewables and six boxes of suppository acetaminophen remained.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 1, 2022

Even without the help of Roman’s suggested Tabasco suppository, he was returning to his old rhino self.

From Slate ● Nov. 15, 2021

If you do, you'll be given an antifungal prescription like fluconazole, or told to purchase an over-the-counter cream or ointment, or a suppository that's inserted into the vagina.

From US News ● Dec. 22, 2015

He said: "No one, however smart, however well-educated, however experienced, is the suppository of all wisdom."

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2013

Tea brewed from the leaves, or the sap taken orally, or a silphion suppository, was said to prevent conception and/or induce abortion.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro

But then there’s the level where you have to start using suppositories because you can’t keep pills down.

From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2024

Despite the prohibition in the Hippocratic Oath, gynecological texts were replete with recipes for contraceptive and abortive suppositories.

From Scientific American ● Dec. 11, 2020

Kinder ™ egg suppositories are already responsible for a greater flow of goods annually than the government’s botched Brexit ferry scheme.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 18, 2019

Microbicides, as defined by the World Health Organization, are gels, films or suppositories that can kill or neutralize viruses and bacteria.

From Salon ● Feb. 24, 2016

As the food is gradually strengthened, this constipation soon passes off; while if injections, suppositories, or cathartics are used to produce freer movements, the functions of the bowels are likely to be disturbed.

From The Care and Feeding of Children A Catechism for the Use of Mothers and Children's Nurses by L. Emmett Holt

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember new words for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com