materia medica

[muh-teer-ee-uh med-i-kuh]

noun

1. (used with a plural verb),  the remedial substances employed in medicine.

2. Also called pharmacognosy. (used with a singular verb),  the science dealing with the sources, physical characteristics, uses, and doses of drugs.

materia medica

/ məˈtɪərɪə ˈmɛdɪkə /

noun

1. the branch of medical science concerned with the study of drugs used in the treatment of disease: includes pharmacology, clinical pharmacology, and the history and physical and chemical properties of drugs

2. the drugs used in the treatment of disease

Word History and Origins

Origin of materia medica¹

1690–1700; < Medieval Latin: medical material

Word History and Origins

Origin of materia medica¹

C17: from Medieval Latin: medical matter