physic
- a medicine that purges; cathartic; laxative.
- any medicine; a drug or medicament.
- Archaic. the medical art or profession.
- Obsolete. natural science.
- to treat with or act upon as a physic or medicine.
- to work upon as a medicine does; relieve or cure.
Origin of physic
Related Words
medication, help, corrective, alleviation, antidote, redress, nostrum, recovery, assistance, panacea, treatment, medicine, reparation, remedy, healing, elixir, medicament, drug, aid, fixExamples from the Web for physic
Historical Examples
You ought not thus to sneer at physic, and make me lose my precious time.
The Imaginary InvalidMolire
He said for no harm; to physic cats; what did it matter to me?
Life And Adventures Of Martin ChuzzlewitCharles Dickens
Every bane has its corresponding antidote; if so, there may be physic even for a philter.
The Comic Latin GrammarPercival Leigh
“You need to be easy with physic, too,” declared the girl, with sparkling eyes.
The Twins of Suffering CreekRidgwell Cullum
I like the notion myself; it is at least a truce with physic.
Diary And Notes Of Horace Templeton, Esq.Charles James Lever
physic
- rare a medicine or drug, esp a cathartic or purge
- archaic the art or skill of healing
- an archaic term for physics (def. 1)
- (tr) archaic to treat (a patient) with medicine
Word Origin
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.
physic
(fĭz′ĭk)- A medicine or drug, especially a cathartic.