medicine

American  

[med-uh-sin, med-suhn] / ˈmɛd ə sɪn, ˈmɛd sən /

noun

1. any substance or substances used in treating disease or illness; medicament; remedy.

   Synonyms:

   physic, pharmaceutical, drug, medication

2. 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.

3. the art or science of treating disease with drugs or curative substances, as distinguished from surgery and obstetrics.

4. the medical profession.

5. (among North American Indians) any object or practice regarded as having magical powers.

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verb (used with object)

medicined, medicining

1. to administer medicine to.

idioms

1. 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.

2. take one's medicine, to undergo or accept punishment, especially deserved punishment.

   He took his medicine like a man.

medicine British  

/ ˈmɛdsɪn, ˈmɛdɪsɪn /

noun

1. any drug or remedy for use in treating, preventing, or alleviating the symptoms of disease

2. the science of preventing, diagnosing, alleviating, or curing disease

3. any nonsurgical branch of medical science

4. the practice or profession of medicine

   he's in medicine

5. something regarded by primitive people as having magical or remedial properties

6. to accept a deserved punishment

7. an unpleasant experience in retaliation for and by similar methods to an unkind or aggressive act

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medicine Scientific  

/ mĕd′ĭ-sĭn /

1. The scientific study or practice of diagnosing, treating, and preventing diseases or disorders of the body or mind of a person or animal.

2. An agent, such as a drug, used to treat disease or injury.

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medicine More Idioms  

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

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Other Word Forms

• antimedicine adjective
• supermedicine noun

Etymology

Origin of medicine

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English medicin, from Latin medicīna (ars) “healing (art),” feminine of medicīnus “pertaining to a physician,” from medic(us) “physician” ( medical ) + -īnus -ine ¹

Example Sentences

Then, while the medicine works its magic and helps open her airways, I hang out doing homework or reading or eating a snack.

From Literature

That breakthrough would have far-reaching consequences for AI development, prenatal policy, animal welfare, medicine, mental health care, law, and emerging technologies such as brain-computer interfaces.

From Science Daily

Ketamine is used legitimately in human and veterinary medicine as an anaesthetic, for pain relief and more recently to manage treatment-resistant depression.

From BBC

Addressing the national security committee, she displayed a photo of her 21-year-old daughter, Margarita who hoped to study medicine like both of her parents.

From BBC

While preparing for a project about 15 years ago, Morvan met his current partner, Tessa van der Steen, who is Dutch and works as a health and fitness coach and alternative medicine practitioner.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• antibiotic
• cure
• drug
• medication
• pharmaceutical
• pill
• prescription
• remedy