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physic

[fiz-ik]
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noun
  1. a medicine that purges; cathartic; laxative.
  2. any medicine; a drug or medicament.
  3. Archaic. the medical art or profession.
  4. Obsolete. natural science.
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verb (used with object), phys·icked, phys·ick·ing.
  1. to treat with or act upon as a physic or medicine.
  2. to work upon as a medicine does; relieve or cure.
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Origin of physic

1250–1300; (noun) Middle English fisyk(e), phisik(e) (< Old French fisique) < Latin physica natural science (Medieval Latin: medical science) < Greek physikḗ science of nature, noun use of feminine adj.: pertaining to nature (akin to phŷlon tribe, phylon); (v.) Middle English, derivative of the noun
Can be confusedphysic physique
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for physic

medication, help, corrective, alleviation, antidote, redress, nostrum, recovery, assistance, panacea, treatment, medicine, reparation, remedy, healing, elixir, medicament, drug, aid, fix

Examples from the Web for physic

Historical Examples of physic

  • You ought not thus to sneer at physic, and make me lose my precious time.

    The Imaginary Invalid

    Molire

  • He said for no harm; to physic cats; what did it matter to me?

  • Every bane has its corresponding antidote; if so, there may be physic even for a philter.

  • “You need to be easy with physic, too,” declared the girl, with sparkling eyes.

  • I like the notion myself; it is at least a truce with physic.

British Dictionary definitions for physic

physic

noun
  1. rare a medicine or drug, esp a cathartic or purge
  2. archaic the art or skill of healing
  3. an archaic term for physics (def. 1)
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verb -ics, -icking or -icked
  1. (tr) archaic to treat (a patient) with medicine
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Derived Formsphysicky, adjective

Word Origin for physic

C13: from Old French fisique, via Latin, from Greek phusikē, from phusis nature
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 physic

n.

c.1300, fysike, "art of healing, medical science," also "natural science" (c.1300), from Old French fisike "natural science, art of healing" (12c.) and directly from Latin physica (fem. singular of physicus) "study of nature," from Greek physike (episteme) "(knowledge) of nature," from fem. of physikos "pertaining to nature," from physis "nature," from phyein "to bring forth, produce, make to grow" (cf. phyton "growth, plant," phyle "tribe, race," phyma "a growth, tumor") from PIE root *bheue- "to be exist, grow" (see be). Spelling with ph- attested from late 14c. (see ph). As a noun, "medicine that acts as a laxative," 1610s. The verb meaning "to dose with medicine" is attested from late 14c.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
physic in Medicine

physic

(fĭz′ĭk)
n.
  1. A medicine or drug, especially a cathartic.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.