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definitions

medicine

[med-uh-sin or, esp. British, med-suhn]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR medicine ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any substance or substances used in treating disease or illness; medicament; remedy.
the art or science of restoring or preserving health or due physical condition, as by means of drugs, surgical operations or appliances, or manipulations: often divided into medicine proper, surgery, and obstetrics.
the art or science of treating disease with drugs or curative substances, as distinguished from surgery and obstetrics.
the medical profession.
(among North American Indians) any object or practice regarded as having magical powers.

verb (used with object), med·i·cined, med·i·cin·ing.

to administer medicine to.

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RELATED WORDS

pharmaceutical, medication, antibiotic, drug, remedy, cure, prescription, pill, anesthetic, tincture, antidote, balm, salve, dose, tablet, vaccination, physic, tonic, potion, antiseptic

Nearby words

  1. medici, lorenzo de,
  2. medicide,
  3. medicinable,
  4. medicinal,
  5. medicinal leech,
  6. medicine ball,
  7. medicine bow range,
  8. medicine bow river,
  9. medicine bundle,
  10. medicine chest

Idioms

    give someone a dose/taste of his/her own medicine, to repay or punish a person for an injury by use of the offender's own methods.
    take one's medicine, to undergo or accept punishment, especially deserved punishment: He took his medicine like a man.

Origin of medicine

1175–1225; Middle English medicin < Latin medicīna (ars) healing (art), feminine of medicīnus pertaining to a physician. See medical, -ine1
Related formsan·ti·med·i·cine, adjectivesu·per·med·i·cine, noun

medical dictionary

noun

a specialized dictionary covering terms used in the health professions by doctors, nurses, and others involved in allied health care services. A dictionary with authoritative spellings and definitions is a particularly crucial resource in medicine, where a misspelling or misunderstanding can have unfortunate consequences for people under care. Print dictionaries in this field may be sorted alphabetically or may be categorized according to medical specializations or by the various systems in the body, as the immune system and the respiratory system. The online Medical Dictionary on Dictionary.com allows alphabetical browsing in the combined electronic versions of more than one authoritative medical reference, insuring access to correct spellings, as well as immediate, direct access to a known search term typed into the search box on the site: A medical dictionary reveals that large numbers of medical terms are formed from the same Latin and Greek parts combined and recombined.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for medicine

British Dictionary definitions for medicine

medicine

noun

any drug or remedy for use in treating, preventing, or alleviating the symptoms of disease
the science of preventing, diagnosing, alleviating, or curing disease
any nonsurgical branch of medical science
the practice or profession of medicinehe's in medicine Related adjectives: Aesculapian, iatric
something regarded by primitive people as having magical or remedial properties
take one's medicine to accept a deserved punishment
a taste of one's own medicine or a dose of one's own medicine an unpleasant experience in retaliation for and by similar methods to an unkind or aggressive act

Word Origin for medicine

C13: via Old French from Latin medicīna (ars) (art of) healing, from medicus doctor, from medērī to heal
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
Word Origin and History for medicine

medicine

n.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for medicine

medicine

[mĕd′ĭ-sĭn]

n.

The science of diagnosing, treating, or preventing disease and other damage to the body or mind.
The branch of this science encompassing treatment by drugs, diet, exercise, and other nonsurgical means.
The practice of medicine.
An agent, such as a drug, used to treat disease or injury.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Science definitions for medicine

medicine

[mĕd′ĭ-sĭn]

The scientific study or practice of diagnosing, treating, and preventing diseases or disorders of the body or mind of a person or animal.
An agent, such as a drug, used to treat disease or injury.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Idioms and Phrases with medicine

medicine

see dose of one's own medicine; take one's medicine.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.