physic
[ fiz-ik ]
/ ˈfɪz ɪk /
noun
a medicine that purges; cathartic; laxative.
any medicine; a drug or medicament.
Archaic. the medical art or profession.
Obsolete. natural science.
verb (used with object), phys·icked, phys·ick·ing.
to treat with or act upon as a physic or medicine.
to work upon as a medicine does; relieve or cure.
Nearby words
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 confused
physic physiqueDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for physic
British Dictionary definitions for physic
physic
/ (ˈfɪzɪk) /
noun
rare a medicine or drug, esp a cathartic or purge
archaic the art or skill of healing
an archaic term for physics (def. 1)
verb -ics, -icking or -icked
(tr) archaic to treat (a patient) with medicine
Derived Forms
physicky, adjectiveWord 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
Medicine definitions for physic
physic
[ fĭz′ĭk ]
n.
A medicine or drug, especially a cathartic.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.